We Won by Identification
IllustrationAnalogy★★★★WHEN your favorite sports team wins, you will say, “We won!” WE who? You weren’t on the field. You didn’t get tackled.
You didn’t get hit. You didn’t throw the ball. You didn’t make an interception. You didn’t block anyone.
What do you mean WE won? WE won by identification. Because you identify with the team, when they win, you win.
We identify so much that we even call our buddies who live in another city and tell them, “We beat you!” We vicariously identify! We feel good when our team wins and we feel bad when our team loses.
Why? Because we understand that we are related to the team by identity. When Jesus died, you died.
When Jesus arose, you arose. When Jesus comes back, you will rise to go with Him because that’s who you are.
We must identify with who we are in Christ. We have a new identity now.
The point
Sports fans say 'we won' through identification with their team even though they didn't play; through identification with Christ—His death, resurrection, and return—our identity is now in Him; we died when He died, rose when He rose, and will rise with Him.