Being crucified with Christ

According to the apostle Paul is the Christian message the message of the cross. He concentrated his preaching on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross to see the saving power of God at work in those who received his message.

When Christ died, I died with him

In fact, the message of the cross is the very power of God onto salvation because of the revelation it brings:

When Christ died, I died with him! Therefore I repented and put my trust in him. Then I was baptised in water to become one with Jesus Christ. I actually died, since I was united with Christ in his death and was buried with him by baptism. Because of this identification with Christ we know that our old self was crucified with Christ, in order that the body, as an instrument of sin, might be done away with altogether, so that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. (Romans 6:6-7)

Because of the cross, the old life is gone

Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks about them. Once I mistakenly thought of Christ that way, as though he were merely a human being. How differently I think about him now! What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:14-17) Since we who believe participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, has our old life passed away. Because of the cross, sin has lost its power over us. We have received a total new life because of the cross!

I myself no longer live

The message of the cross is the liberating message that we have been crucified with Christ and therefore set free from self, the sinful nature, religious legalism and the world.

For when I tried to keep the law, I realized I could never earn God’s approval. So I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ. I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:19-20)

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. (Galatians 5:24)

As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world died long ago, and the world’s interest in me is also long dead. It doesn’t make any difference now whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people. (Galatians 6:14-15)

Through the cross of Christ the power of God is released to give believers deliverance and victory. It is no longer we who live; it is Christ who lives in us and through us. As we realise that we have been crucified with Christ, we have freedom from self, religious legalism, the sinful nature and the world!

The self-efforts of legalism cannot bring victory of any kind but only slavery. It only appeal to the human ego (“I can do something to please God”), and encouraged the sinful nature to work. And the world does not care if we are “religious” just so long as the cross is left out. In fact, the world approves of religion, - apart from the message of the cross. So, the legalist inflates the ego, flatters the sinful nature, and pleases the world; the true Christian crucifies all three!

Therefore we will only boast of the cross of Jesus Christ. Because of the cross we have lost interest in the sinful life of the world, and the world’s interest in us is also long dead! The cross of Christ brings a wonderful liberty into our lives!

Exercise

In what way is the message of the cross liberating for you?

Continue to memorise these Bible verses:

Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. (Romans 6:6-7)