Life Comes Through Death

November 30, 2023

Eternal life in Christ, in this life and the next, arises from death.  Think with me for a moment about all the ways in which this is true:  First, life would not be possible without the death of Jesus on our behalf.  Second, life in Him required our own death in the waters of baptism, at which point, through faith, we died with Jesus (Romans 6:5).  Third, our future life in our heavenly home will be proceeded by the death of our bodies (unless the Lord should return first).  And finally, life in Him requires an ongoing, daily death to this world.

This last death is difficult for us, but if we want to live, we must die to the world.  Thanks be to God that through the cross of Jesus, we can find the strength to do so.  Listen to the words the Apostle Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia: “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14 NAS95)It is through Jesus and His cross that the world can be crucified to us, and us to the world.  The world calls to us, it entices and tempts us to its sinful ways.  How can we overcome?  We must turn to the cross!  We must survey the wonderous cross of Jesus and choose to sacrifice all the vain things of this world to His blood.  As Paul wrote, “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 NAS95) Or, as he writes in chapter five, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24 NAS95)

When you were baptized into Jesus, you were crucified with Him.  Now, if we want to continue to live in Him, we must make the daily decision to die to this world and put to death our own sinful desires.  May God help us to do so through the cross of Christ.   

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

The Transforming Cross

January 13, 2023

The cross of Jesus refers to his crucifixion by the Romans, his burial in a rich man’s previously unused tomb, and his resurrection from the dead. Christians look back on this once for all event as permanently dealing with sins and gaining the victory over death. But Paul also uses the cross as a model for our lives as Christians.

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, ESV)

This daily crucifixion is a putting to death of myself so that Christ may live in me. The voluntary death to self is motivated by the great love that Christ and the Father have for us.

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.(Galatians 5:24, ESV)

The above passage from Paul lets us know that this crucifixion of ourselves also has to do with the flesh. Flesh in Paul is defined well by the descriptive phrase that follows “with its passions and desires.” In other words, it is a putting to death of sinful desires in our life. It is a life lived by faith (Gal. 2:16), “through the Spirit, by faith” (Gal 5:5), and involves faith working through love (Gal. 5:6). Although we may be engaged in an inner moral struggle for Christian maturity, it is love that motivates us and the Spirit who strengthens us (Romans 8:13, Ephesians 3:16). It is not an unaided struggle.

“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14, ESV)

The model of the cross is also a model for putting to death the world on a daily basis. Paul’s use of “world” is not to evoke the beauty of creation around us. Rather it is the world system that is hostile to God. My death to self is to result in a new creation (Gal. 6:15). It will be because I’m walking by the Spirit which is the opposite of gratifying the desires of the flesh (i.e., worldly, sinful desires). I’m to be led by the Spirit (Gal. 5:18) which will produce the fruit of the Spirit, which is a very different lifestyle from the one lived by worldly values. And Paul offers a challenge to us: “let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25). We must pay attention to what it means to let Christ live in us. We must be vigilant that we are not slipping back into worldliness for the new creation is in Christ, it is not in the world.

As you ponder the cross of Christ, also consider your daily crucifixion of self. The cross of Christ is to be a transforming cross.

–Russ Holden

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Posted by Russell Holden