SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1119

“Crucified with Christ”

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me; And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. – Luke 9:23; Matthew 10:38

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

So many of us view our burdens and sufferings as ‘our cross to bear’. This is not at all what Jesus was talking about relative to taking up our cross and following Him. At the time that Jesus spoke these words, the cross had one significant meaning to the people of that day – death. Jesus is asking us then and today if we are willing to die to self and to our sinful nature and follow Him.

Paul writes in Galatians 2:20 what it means to have taken up his cross and followed Jesus. We are exhorted to do the same. How do we practically apply this Word to our lives today? The answer is simple: we learn to say ‘No’ to the sinful desires of our flesh and ‘Yes’ to the righteousness of Jesus.

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires; So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus; For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.…Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. – Galatians 5:24  Romans 6:11– Colossians 3:3-5

Being crucified with Christ also means that we learn to not embed ourselves in this material world at the expense of a closer walk with Jesus. We learn to deny ourselves the desires of the flesh when those desires conflict with obedience to following the Lord’s direction.

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, … so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. – 1 Peter 4:1-2

Being crucified with Christ is not a one-time event. It is a process by which we die little deaths over time. Can we deny ourselves some future plans and goals in order to care for elderly and sick parents?

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. – 1 Timothy 5:8

Having been crucified with Christ it is no longer we who live but Christ lives in us. Are we willing to deny ourselves time, comfort, material goods, in order to be His hands and feet in ministry to those in need?

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others…; Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. – Philippians 2:4-8 – Proverbs 3:27

This is not an easy Word to apply to our lives. Like the rich young ruler many of us would walk away from such self-denial and total commitment to follow Christ. Our sinful nature is at war with our spiritual nature and as long as we are in the flesh the battle will rage on. But take heart for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4