Are you living the crucified life? (Part One)

From the desk of Dr. Robert L. Taylor, Th.D. We read, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20). As we examine this verse what I want you to think about today is what does it mean to be crucified with Christ? What is Paul teaching the believer? The idea of being crucified with Christ emphasizes our union with Him and His death on our behalf. Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” Union with Christ is representative in redemptive acts, is the point of Paul’s statement here. Paul has been crucified with Christ, because Christ was acting on his behalf (representative). It’s the same with every believer! Jesus has gone to the cross for us, and as a result of our representative bearing the punishment of God’s broken law, we have born the penalty of the law in our substitute (Christ). We have been crucified with Christ and we, that is the old we looked at as motivated and dominated by sin, we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. For that reason there is a radical change in the direction of our life. We have new desires and new motivations implanted in us by the Holy Spirit. We’re new creatures in Christ. Paul continues, “And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.” In other words, we trust in Christ’s crucifixion as payment for our sin penalty, and we rely on His power (by faith in the Son of God) to live in a way that pleases God. We continue to live in the flesh, of course, but our lives are now directed not by our sinful selves but by our faith in Christ. Paul concludes, “Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Please notice the emphasis is on what Jesus has done for us, not what we have to do for Him. For too many of my brothers and sisters in Christ, this verse has become “I need to crucify my sinful desires and try harder to live for God.” However, when this becomes our approach, we have slipped out of grace through faith living, and back into law-living, and we limit and minimize the power of Christ’s death on our behalf. We are relying less upon the power of Christ and more upon our own power—and that will never work out well! In short, Galatians 2:20 teaches and instructs us how we escaped the condemnation and penalty of sin to live a life that pleases God. Knowing that we are “crucified with Christ” should give us great encouragement in our Christian walk. We have the power to say “no” to sin and “yes” to God. That’s the crucified life! Be encouraged!