The force of the speech lies in the words “with Him.” All will rise and will live forever. Yet only those who died with the Lord will live with the Lord. They died with Him both by remaining in unbroken communion with Him and for His sake.
Likewise, all endure troubles, afflictions, and deprivations. There is not one person who does not endure. Yet only those who endure with the Lord will reign for their endurance. That is, they will be appointed to the Kingdom of God as to an inheritance, or will be counted worthy of eternal blessedness.
They endure with the Lord because of their unwavering abiding in communion with Him through faith and love, and for the sake of this very abiding. This communion transforms even ordinary endurance into a means of reigning with the Lord. Ordinary endurance means enduring what lies on all as a heavy burden. Communion gives this endurance the same spirit, teaching one to endure for the Lord’s sake.
What relation do “we died” and “we endure” have on the one side, and “we live” and “we shall reign” on the other? One may think these are two expressions of one and the same thing. Whoever dies with the Lord endures death with Him. Whoever endures afflictions with Him does the same as dying with Him. Afflictions are bitter like death. The one who endures them cheerfully does so because by intention he has already handed himself over to death for the Lord.
Likewise, the one who will live with the Lord will reign with Him. The one who will reign with Him will live with Him. Both signify eternal blessedness with the Lord and in the Lord. The Apostle used two expressions to show one and the same thing, so that the proposed foundation of our hope would be impressed more strongly on the mind. Where the Lord is, there those who truly believe in Him will necessarily be also. Only let them remain in unbroken communion with Him throughout their whole life, believing, being sanctified by grace in the Mysteries, and fulfilling His commandments.
If, however, by “we died” one understands spiritual death to sin and voluntary readiness for sufferings and death, then “if we endure” will present a certain addition to this. It means: if we have not only died to sin, but also endure for the Lord’s sake. Or: if we have not only determined ourselves by intention to death for the Lord, but also in deed endure afflictions and deaths, then we shall not only live, but also reign with the Lord.
Ambrosiaster expresses the first meaning: “The Apostle shows here that we shall enter immortal glory with Christ if we remain in the state into which Baptism placed us. There all our transgressions die, so that, having been renewed, we may avoid our former vices and passions. Following in the Lord’s footsteps, we are shown to be dead to sin.
“If to this is added that we cheerfully endure afflictions and distresses for the Lord’s name, then, having endured them, we shall certainly also reign with Him. For it is fitting that the one who suffers reproaches and exiles for Him should appear glorified in His Kingdom.”
The second meaning we see in Saint Chrysostom: “He did not simply say, ‘we shall reign,’ but ‘if we endure.’ He shows that it is not enough to die once.” Blessed Theophylact explains: “Once for all to hand oneself over by intention to death.” Saint Chrysostom continues: “The blessed man himself died daily (cf. 1 Cor 15:31), and one must have much patience.” Blessed Theophylact adds: “One must always endure, so as to be counted worthy also of reigning with the Lord.”
“If we deny Him, He also will deny us.” The Apostle also sets forth the other side of the matter: what will be with us if we do not cleave to the Lord by faith and love. He does this so that the proposed foundation of hope may be impressed more clearly on the mind. He also does it to enliven zeal for fulfilling the conditions of hope.
These words of the Apostle produce what shadows produce in a painting. They make its bright parts stand out more strongly. They also produce what fear of a ready calamity for laziness produces in someone tempted by sloth. It sobers him, arouses him, and drives away every excuse.
“From the opposite, from what will be with us in the contrary case, the Apostle borrows confirmation for his word. That is, if we do not die and do not endure with Him. For recompense will come not only for good relations toward the Lord, but also for those contrary to them” (Blessed Theophylact).
“If the wicked too could become participants in the same thing that awaits the good, this would be no consolation. If those who endured were to reign with Christ, while those who did not endure received only the punishment of not reigning with Him, even this would be terrible. Yet for many it would not be a sufficient threat.
“Therefore the Apostle says something more dreadful: ‘If we deny Him, He also will deny us.’ Consider what the one will suffer who will be denied from His Kingdom. The recompense is not equal to the offense, though by the words it seems so. We who deny Him are men, but He is God. Need one say what distance there is between God and men?” (Saint Chrysostom).
From this conclude how much more dreadful and disastrous in its consequences God’s rejection is than any human rejection. “Consider what the one who has denied Christ must suffer” (Blessed Theophylact).
“If we deny Him.” The Apostle places us before deprivations, afflictions, sufferings, torments, and death. He says: despite the fact that one could claim some excuse for denying the Lord by appealing to such a distressing situation, saying, “What can be done? Weakness!” nevertheless do not expect the sentence over you to be lighter. There will be denial for denial.
Thus the Lord and Savior Himself said: “Whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (cf. Mt 10:33). He said this after: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna” (cf. Mt 10:28).
He gives us to understand that however distressing it is when death stands before the eyes, the one who pities the body and denies Him even in such distress will be denied by Him. He will destroy not the body only, but also the soul. Denial by the Lord is being cast down into Gehenna, into eternal torments.
THEOSIS