Crucified with Christ

01-24-2022

Crucified with Christ

Good Evening. It's Randy here. Tonight my lovely wife is not feeling well, so she is allowing me to guest write for her. This is a huge step for her. She has not once asked anyone to fill in for her before, as she feels called by God to write to you. 

Tonight, my son and I were reading from Galatians. Chapter 2, verse 20 reads, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." This verse and those surrounding it have been made into the chorus of a popular song in the Christian world. We sing it in our church some Sundays. It's a catchy tune, the music is powerful, and I feel built-up, inspired, and full when singing it. But when we're done and the next song comes along or our Pastor starts preaching, those words are lost. It might just be me, I'll admit, but sometimes I feel like the man that looks at himself in the mirror, turns away, and immediately forgets what he looks like. But I digress. What does it mean to be crucified with Christ? That I no longer live? But Christ lives in me?

Jesus said, "Take up your cross and follow me." He knew what his path was, even before those who plotted against him knew: Crucifixion, one of the most painful ways to die. But it wasn't the pain that brought salvation; It was the sacrifice. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul wasn't saying, "I have died in a painful way"; rather, he was talking about sacrifice. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for our (my) sins. The verse above could well read, "I have paid the ultimate sacrifice with Christ and consequently I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." For unlike Christ, we have not been resurrected, yet. This is, of course, a metaphor. Paul was very much alive when he wrote this letter. And yet, what we as readers know is that the life Paul lived prior to his conversion was completely opposite of where he wound up. His old life was gone, dead, sacrificed. He now lived to serve the Living God. It was Christ living in Paul that made the difference.

When I look back at my life, I am ashamed at how long I have claimed to be a Christian and how little of that time was spent living out my salvation. It must be hundreds of people that would never have known I was a Christian by the way I lived in the world. I was not crucified with Christ as evidenced by my walk. Decades ago I actually had a  co-worker say he never would have guessed I went to church, let alone was a Christian, because I was not behaving like one at work. Humbling, to say the least. Thankfully, God endured my behavior in the desert, and now I can claim, as did Paul, Christ lives in me! 

How about you? Can you, like Paul, say your old self/life is dead, sacrificed with Christ? Can you say without doubt that Christ lives in you? If you can, then all praise goes to Him that loved you so much He was willing to sacrifice His life for you. If you cannot, maybe it's time you prayed the prayer of salvation. Confess your sins to the God of the universe and invite Jesus to be your Savior.  Only you can do this. No matter how much I love my wife and son, I could not gain salvation for them through any prayer, action or sacrifice of mine. It had to be their own choice. Thankfully, they too can claim they are crucified with Christ, and they no longer live, but Christ lives in them.

I will end this the way our pastor ends each service. You are loved! God, who created the universe loves you!