SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                              1360        

“Crucified with Christ”

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

What does it mean to be crucified with Jesus? We are not literally being nailed to a cross so what is the Holy Spirit teaching us through the Gospels about being crucified with Christ?

Crucified with Christ – It is about what He did.

Being crucified with Christ is not about what we can do to live a righteous life and overcome our sin nature. It is about what Jesus did by His death and resurrection – paying the penalty for our sin so that we can be saved by grace and justified before God.

For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9

…We have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. – 2 Corinthians 5:13-15

Baptism – A Symbolic Act of Being Crucified with Christ – Having repented and accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we symbolize our death to sin and resurrection to a new life through Baptism.

And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. – Acts 2:38

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life… – Romans 6:3-4

Crucified with Christ: Dead to Sin – Alive in Jesus.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience; The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him – Ephesians 2:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:11

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin… So, you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. – Romans 6:6-11

Crucified with Christ: A New Way of Life, Love, and Commitment. When Jesus comes into our heart we are born again into a new way of life. By the power of the Holy Spirit in us we have power for living a more righteous life in this unrighteous world. Our desire and commitment are to serve Him, be obedient to Him, love as He loved, and walk in His plan and purpose for us to His praise and glory.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under law but under grace. – Romans 6:12- 14

And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised; And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. – Matthew 10:38; 2 Corinthians 5:15

Dying Little Deaths – Sanctification. Being crucified with Christ brings about change, but it is not all instantaneous. Big changes in lifestyle are evident at first and then the Holy Spirit begins to ‘peel the onion’ and reveal to us hardened areas of sin that we have not yet repented of or continue to harbor and justify as ‘it is not that bad’. We have to continually ‘die little deaths’ to the sin idols in our life that interfere with our close fellowship with the Father and our ability to fully serve Him and others in His Name.

Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. – Leviticus 19:2

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming; For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. – Colossians 3:5-6; Romans 8:13

May you be crucified with Christ and walk and serve Him in the newness of life in this world and into eternity with Him. To God be the glory!