I Was Crucified – And So Were You!
The Cross of Jesus Christ. What should I do with it or because of it? What can I do to receive its benefits or be worthy of its glory?
Come on Man, surely we have to do something…join the church, repent, confess – something?
Nope, we got crucified with Christ. But it is OK to pray “Thank You Father”, help me live worthy of what Jesus did for me.
Wrong questions. Jesus was not crucified to get people to Do anything. It happened for our sin, and because we are included in what happened, there is nothing left for sinners to DO, despite what you may hear otherwise.
“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So, I live in this earthly body by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.” (Galatians 2:20)
You do not have to crucify yourself or keep the law – you were "crucified with Christ". And it was done for you whether you like it or not, whether you believe it or not, or whether you accept it or not. Nothing you can do will change what has already happened. It is finished! And since sinners have been crucified with Christ, our past sin, and the sin we will do going forward, will no longer have “dominion” over us. We no longer need to fear death. We will die, but will not perish (stay dead). We have, right now, apart from works, new life guaranteed. The Crucifixion of and with Christ took care of our sin problem. We now live with the assurance from God that we will be resurrected with Christ.
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism (identification with Christ - has nothing to do with water). And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power over our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin…Sin no longer has dominion over you, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace” (Romans 6:4-7,14)
“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So, I live in this earthly body by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.” (Galatians 2:20)
You do not have to crucify yourself or keep the law – you were "crucified with Christ". And it was done for you whether you like it or not, whether you believe it or not, or whether you accept it or not. Nothing you can do will change what has already happened. It is finished! And since sinners have been crucified with Christ, our past sin, and the sin we will do going forward, will no longer have “dominion” over us. We no longer need to fear death. We will die, but will not perish (stay dead). We have, right now, apart from works, new life guaranteed. The Crucifixion of and with Christ took care of our sin problem. We now live with the assurance from God that we will be resurrected with Christ.
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism (identification with Christ - has nothing to do with water). And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power over our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin…Sin no longer has dominion over you, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace” (Romans 6:4-7,14)
Come on Man, surely we have to do something…join the church, repent, confess – something?
Nope, we got crucified with Christ. But it is OK to pray “Thank You Father”, help me live worthy of what Jesus did for me.