By Dr. Brian J. Bailey
Significance of the Jordan River
The crossing of Jordan was a major turning point in Israel’s journey. It was a new day for them in almost every respect. The old generation and leader had died and a new generation and leader had arisen. The wilderness tests were over and the Promised Land awaited them. They were about to take a major leap forward into the promises of God as their feet crossed over Jordan.
After they crossed Jordan, their attitude was completely changed. They never wanted to return to Egypt anymore. Something had happened in their heart and in their nature. Even their diet changed after crossing Jordan. The manna ceased and they began to partake of the fruit of the land (Josh. 5:12). There was new excitement and expectation. New strength and courage invigorated them to defeat their enemies. In addition to all this, crossing Jordan was a major step toward their ultimate destination, Mount Zion.
The Crucified Life
The crossing of the Jordan River has great spiritual significance for our lives as believers. We read in Joshua 3:15-16 that the waters of the Jordan overflowed in the time of harvest all the way to the city of Adam. The fact that the city of Adam is connected with their passage across Jordan is significant, as Adam represents our old sinful nature.
After the Israelites left Egypt, they were out of Egypt, but the love of Egypt was not out of them. However, after they crossed the Jordan River, it was very different. The children of Israel were circumcised at Gilgal. Circumcision represents heart circumcision and the cutting away of the things we were born with (Deut. 30:6).
Therefore, the crossing of the Jordan represents the experience of being “dead to sin” whereby our old Adamic nature is crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20).
As we have mentioned earlier, spiritually, the Red Sea represents water baptism. In Colossians 2:11-13, Paul clearly states that water baptism is analogous to “putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ…” Paul also says in Romans 6:4 that we are buried with Christ by baptism that we might walk in newness of life. Unfortunately, though we should walk in newness of life, there are many times when we do not.
Water baptism is not the full answer to the question of having victory over sin. Water baptism is the judicial act of putting off the body of sins. The experiential fulfilment of this comes at this time, during the crossing of Jordan.
At the Jordan, the Lord removed the love of Egypt from their hearts. They no longer desired to go back to Egypt,
which represents this world. We read in Joshua 5:8-9, “And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.”
Therefore, the crossing of the Jordan River symbolises how God broke the power of sin, and dealt with the love of the world. It was the “adult circumcision.” It is equivalent to the Romans 6:6 experience, which we will now look at in further detail.
On the cross, Christ not only purchased our redemption, but He also made provision to deal with our sin nature so that it would not continue to have dominion over us.
Knowing, Reckoning, and Yielding: Knowing that we're dead to sin
As we have already established, the crossing of the Jordan represents the “dead to sin” experience of Romans 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” On the cross, Christ not only purchased our redemption, but He also made provision to deal with our sin nature so that it would not continue to have dominion over us.
Our nature of sin would be destroyed or rendered inoperative. This is a very important spiritual experience because salvation, water baptism, and even the baptism of the Holy Spirit, do not deal with all of the sins and bondages in our lives.
The first step to being free from sin is knowing that our old man (our old nature) was crucified with Christ on the cross. The Greek word for “knowing” in Romans 6:6 is “ginosko,” which means “knowledge that comes by an experience.” It is not something that we grow into, not something that we can claim or take by faith. It is a sovereign appointment and meeting with God—a definite revelation from God of what He did on Calvary’s cross. When we have this experience, there is a great difference in our lives.
Paul spoke of this experience in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” We must seek the Lord to have this same experience so that we no longer serve sin.
Many years ago, God was putting His finger on a number of issues in my life. He was asking me if I
was willing to give up certain things to Him. Some of them were easy to release to Him, but others were
very difficult. The Spirit of God kept sweeping over me for several days on the question of being dead to sin.
Our healing has already been paid for, but we must appropriate it. We must have a revelation and meeting with God.
Then one morning while I was in my office, I had a vision of Christ upon the cross with His back toward me. The Spirit of God lifted me up to hang on the cross with Christ. In the vision, I was literally in Christ on that cross. I looked down and saw all the people railing at Jesus, but He did not respond because He was on the cross. I also saw the veil that was rent in the Temple when Jesus died. It was a literal experience! Then the vision ceased, and I came back into my room.
Out of my innermost being, something wanted to gush out. It then broke forth and flowed and flowed like a river. Out of my mouth came the words from Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ.” At the moment, I knew that my old man had been crucified with Christ. I understood that when Jesus died nearly 2,000 years ago, He not only bore my sins, but He also dealt with my old nature. Oh what strength and victory filled my soul! There was a peace that was indescribable.
By no means am I implying that you must have a vision or experience like mine. God could give you different
Scriptures and different circumstances. The important matter is that you experience the reality of Romans 6:6, and have a revelation that your sinful nature has been crucified.
In addition to dealing with our sin nature on the cross, Christ also provided healing, as seen in 1 Peter 2:24: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” Peter uses the past tense here, “ye were healed.” Our healing has already been paid for, but we must appropriate it. We must have a revelation and meeting with God.
This is also true of salvation. Christ died for the sins of the whole world, yet it does a man no good until he experiences new birth by accepting Christ into his heart.
Although our salvation has already been paid for by Christ’s death on the cross, we are not saved until we experience it. This same principle applies to being dead to sin.
Our old man was crucified with Christ on the cross, but we are still bound by the sin nature until we experience being dead to sin, as described in Romans 6:6, “That the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Once we go through this, sin will no longer govern our actions and words. We will have a new strength to go against the enemy. There is such a release from our old man when we have this experiential knowledge. This “knowing” comes as we walk faithfully with God.
The Corinthians were born again, water baptised, filled with the Spirit, and moving in all the gifts of the Spirit; yet the Apostle Paul calls them carnal. Many of them needed to experience their own personal “Jordan.” Paul even warned the Corinthian church not to fail in the wilderness and die there as Israel did (1 Cor. 10:1-11).
Reckoning that we are dead to sin
“Knowing” is the first step to putting our old man on the cross. The second step in the walk of holiness is “reckoning” that we are dead to sin. Paul said in Romans 6:11, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The Greek word translated “reckon” is “logizomai,” which essentially means “to count something done.”
When we have had the experience of “knowing,” then we must count it done. We have to remind ourselves that we have been freed from sin and that we do not have to give in to the desires of our carnal nature. The question has been asked, “After you have had your Jordan experience, can you lose it?” The answer is, “Yes.”
When the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, they took 12 stones out of the Jordan River and erected them on the west bank of the river as a memorial, “Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel forever” (Josh. 4:7).
Israel had great victory at Jordan, and they went on from there to subdue Jericho. However, they were later defeated at Ai because of the sin of Achan. The 12 stones served as a memorial to remind the children of Israel of their Jordan experience. After they put things right, the Israelites had to remember that their old nature of sin had been dealt with. They did not have to let sin have dominion over them.
In much the same way, after we have a revelation that we are dead to sin, we have to daily remind ourselves that we are dead to sin. The experience in Romans 6:6 of knowing that we are dead to sin puts our old nature on the cross; “reckoning” we are dead to sin keeps it there (Rom. 6:11).
Yielding ourselves to righteousness and Holiness
After the experience of “knowing” and then “reckoning” or counting it done, we then have the power to “yield” the members of our body to God. This is the third step in the walk of holiness and freedom from sin.
Paul said in Romans 6:12-14, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
Holiness is always a choice, a battle. After our Jordan experience, we have a new power to choose, for sin no longer has dominion over us. Remember, after Jordan, Israel never wanted to go back to Egypt. The Adamic nature was dealt with. They were circumcised from the flesh. That very day, God rolled away from them the reproach and tentacles of Egypt (Josh. 5:8-9).
This article is an excerpt from Chapter 11 of the book, Journey of Israel. It has been reprinted with covering
permission from author, the late Dr. Brian J. Bailey.
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