What does it mean to be dead with Christ and what follows from it?
Being dead with Christ means the old Adam has been crucified, so the believer is dead to old Adam's desires by identification with Christ's crucifixion. It is God's saving power, not human effort. What follows is resurrection hope: believers shall also live with Him, because Christ died once for all and rose physically and literally.
Les explains that being dead with Christ is by identification with the crucifixion: those who have let old Adam be crucified are now dead to the desires of that old Adam. This is not something you work for or try to attain; it is part of the power of God when it is exercised in His saving salvation. Then verse 8 says that if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. Les stresses that the resurrection is fundamental to our faith. He notes that some can preach Christ and His earthly ministry or His crucifixion but have trouble with the resurrection; according to Scripture, if they cannot believe all of it, they are as lost as if they believed none of it. We have to believe that Christ rose physically, literally, spiritually, every way, and is alive evermore. In that He died, He died unto sin to rid us of old Adam once, once for all, and Hebrews says Christ did once and it satisfies for all eternity.
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
More Questions
What happens to the old Adam when we are dead with Christ?
When a believer is put to death with Christ, the old Adam is put to death and real life begins—not just the ending—as he enters a new relationship with God in daily experience.