The Truth of Crucifixion (Part-4)

We come to the final use of the English word crucified in Gal 6;14, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” This is being crucified to security. It is the physical victory over sin and the world. This is the liberty of life. This freedom is from the fears of harm, fear of trials and the fear of pain. Let me illustrate this truth with a true story which took place in Russia. About one hundred Christians gathered in secret for worship of Jesus Christ for fear of being jailed or killed. The worship began when all of a sudden the door flew open and four Russian soldiers with machine guns entered the crowed room. Yelling “this is an illegal gathering.” One soldier step forward and yelled “all you who are Christians will die today, but all of you who are not may live if you leave now.” Nobody moved, and the solder repeated the instructions. This time the room nearly emptied except for a handful of believers in Christ who stood ready to die. The soldiers closed the door and lowered their weapons. The Russian leader smiled and said "My true brother, You have truly died today, Let us worship and serve the Lord Jesus together."

The love and cause of Christ compels you forward without concern for what the world might do to you, because your life is in God hands. Regardless of wealth or poverty, joy or sorrows, pain or delight, hardship or ease it makes no difference what take place as long as Jesus Christ is pleased and glorified with your life. This does not mean you have no feelings, but it does mean that Christ is in control, for you are dead to things of this world. Being dead allows God to work his grace in you and through you, and fluidness of Christ flows through to the enrichment of life that can be found nowhere else. Few believers reach this level of deep relationship with Jesus.

The Truth of Crucifixion (Part-3)

The Second reference of being crucified is found in Galatians 5:24, "And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." It is a reference to being crucified to one’s old nature or one could simply say crucified to self .

The word crucified (strauoo) in Galatians 5:24 differs from the word “crucified” (sustauroo) in Gal. 2:20 in both tense and meaning. Crucified (Satrauoo) in Gal. 5:24 is a continuous present tense, while Gal. 2:20 is a onetime happening in the past tense. Gal. 5:24 is in reference to one’s attitude, while in Gal. 2:20 sets forth a oneness or union with Christ in His death and resurrection. Gal. 5:24 is the living practice of Gal. 2:20. By faith I died (Gal. 2:20) and by faith I continue to take action to be dead to self. In other words the new spirit must continually fight and put down the old nature. Gal. 5:24 is a moral death, while Gal. 2:20 is a legal death. Gal. 5:24 explains what we are to do after we are fully justified before God, by accepting Jesus Christ’s death and payment for our sin.

One is justified by crucifixion to sin in Gal. 2:20 and one lives this justification out in their life through crucified living Gal. 5:24. Which results in “the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Gal. 2:22-23). It is a beauty of life that cannot be surpassed this side of heaven. By faith we come to Christ, and by faith we continue in Christ. Yet we are left with one difficulty. How or what do we do in order to live out this faith? The next posting will reveal the third use of the English Word “crucified” which reveals the how and the enabling to continue to live by faith bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in the fullness of life.

The Truth of Crucifixion (Part-2)

The first of the three uses of the Word “Crucified” is found in Galatians 2:20. I refer to this use as being crucified to sin. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." This is what is call the new-birth. The Law demands punishment for sin, and the punishment for sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Jesus died upon the cross and paid the price for all sin, past, present, and future. Yet, one must accept Jesus’ payment for sin, or one must make the payment him/her self. Jesus Christ is offering each person a gift to become legally dead to the law (Gal. 1:19). Jesus Christ is offering to pay for your sin personally. All you have to do is receive His payment from the cross. Admit you are a sinner and accept by faith Christ’s payment. Then God’s wrath is not only removed from sentencing one’s soul to eternal damnation, but one also receives the blessings of life in Christ Jesus. Which is why Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." The life one lives is free from the bondage of sin. It is a life lived through Christ Jesus. Without this legal justification one does not have the position to claim God’s promises nor enjoy God, and results in the next two truths concerning crucifixion in Galatians not making sense. Be sure you have new life in Christ, because, you have died and been resurrected with Christ through faith in Him.

The Truth of Crucifixion (Part-1)

When one is accused, our natural reaction is to justify our actions. We often find excuses and reason for all that we do or don’t do regardless of whether we are really right or not. Yet, there is a calming sense when one is truly justified. There is no fear of being exposed or caught by an accuser. There no fear of false accusations sticking.

The real question is “Am I clearly justified before the Almighty God?” For God knows all, and cannot be deceived or fooled. Thereby, it would be great to be 100% assured of being justified before Him when death comes. I can ignore the fact that I stand before Him and waste life. I can worry about it and waste life, or I can be assured and fulfill life. There is no great sense of liberty knowing I’m justified before God. The Almighty God can give you that assurance. God reveals the truth of justification in several places throughout the Bible, yet we will turn our attention to the book of Galatians. Here we find that each person must be justified before God, and how they may be justified before God, and live life in liberty fulfilling one’s personal divinely created purpose.

The book of Galatians uses the English word “Crucified” four times. One referring to Christ, and three referring to you and I being crucified if we are to fully know and enjoy the liberty of being justified. I will be covering these three English words in the next three posting.

EVERYONE IS A CHRISTIAN?

Didn’t you know "everyone is a Christian" these days, at least as long as it is convenient for them. The thought goes something like this, "I have some religious beliefs and I live in America, therefore, my religion is Christianity." I laugh at their foolishness and weep for their soul. There was time I thought I was Christian, but then I learned what the God actually says in His Holy book and found out I was only fooling myself. (For my testimony please see my first post.) So, what is Christianity? Well, let’s let God tells us, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom 10:9-10). I find a lot of false confession with the mouth about a lot of things that are not Biblical nor of Christ. Why is that? They have not believed, received Jesus Christ into their heart. John 1:12 reaffirms this truth, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Half saved is still incomplete. How can one be partly redeemed (saved)? Either one is redeemed from their sin, saved, or not. It is not a very difficult concept.

Yet, one thing is true, the heart is changed and one’s desires are changed as well. Changed to what? Changed to wanting to know Christ and to be like Him. This is why one claims to be a Christian. The word Christian means “Christ-like.” Why would you claim something that you don’t want to be like? Many people will claim to be a Christian for the benefits they think they will receive. A true Christian will claim it, regardless of the benefits at the moment. And of course one who claims to be a Christian will also be one who spends time in the Scripture, because they have a desire to be like-Christ, as well as know Him in a greater personal way. Do you honestly know what being a true Christian is like? Do you desire to know Christ greater? Do you desire to spend time in the Scriptures?

The truth is God knows who the true Christians are. And one day they will hear these words, “… Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Mt 25:21). All the others will hear “… I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth…” (Luke 13:27-28). What will you hear?

Little or Much

I was mowing the church lawn when the engine started knocking. It was a horrible banging sound. I only made a few swipes around the yard and the noise was growing worse. I turned off the mower and sat for few moments praying. “Lord, I really don’t need this right now with all that needs to be done. It’s your yard. If you don’t want the lawn looking nice that up to you. You know Lord I do not have the ability to fix the mower.” I got off the mower, opened the hood and looked around, but didn’t see anything wrong. I decided to go in and eat lunch, and I would look at it after lunch. After lunch I started up the mower and the noise seemed worse. I turned it off immediately. I went inside and call a friend who knows a little about engines. He said he'd come by after he had lunch. Then I went to work on my studies. My friend come over, started up the mower, and within a few minutes he had diagnosed the problem. An important screw had come loose and fell off something which cause the loud the banging noise. He did tell me the engine could have easily burned up in prolonged mowing. I’m thanking the Lord for such a simple fix. All I needed was a screw to put it back together. I thought I would just have to make a 50 minute trip to the store and it would be done. When my friend looked up at me, he said, “Where did the mower start making the noise.” I replied, “It was louder on the hill section, Why?” He answered, “That’s where we should start looking for the screw.” At that moment I looked into his eyes to see if he was serious. He was very serious. I didn’t say it at that moment, but I thought, "We have over 3 acres of lawn and it will be worse than looking for a needle in a hay stack." Then my thoughts turned to the Lord. “Lord it is impossible to find screw on three acres of lawn. Only you can find it.” We walked across the lawn following the mower path. After about 10 steps my friend leaned down and picked up the screw. We stood their looking at that screw in awe. We found it! Or I should say, God led us directly to it. I was reminded at that moment of a Bible verse which I have often recited, Luke 16:10, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much…” I was rebuked for lacking in faith for such a little matter. Is anything too hard for the LORD? (Gen. 18:14). God is interested in every facet of our lives. He created us. He allowed His Son to die to redeem us from our sin. God cares about every fact of your life, seek Him in all things, and enjoy His blessing in good times and bad.

GET A BIGGER HAMMER?

Over the years I have learned not to force things, for in the process of forcing things, something always breaks. It is not always a physical object that breaks. Quite often it is someone’s feelings or even a friendship. It only takes a small crack for the seed of bitterness to settle in, divide, and conquer. So how does one deal with stupidity which seems to befall one on all sides? Well, there is a wonderful verse in Philippians 2:1, which provides us with an answer and four incentives to reach out and grasp the answer for conquering life in victorious living.

The answer is found in the word Humility. Those who will humble themselves in Jesus Christ will conquer life victoriously. First, notice humility provides powerful guidance: Phil 2:1,“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ . . .” Consolation is the idea of exhortation with earnest pleas of comforting guidance. Christ not only died to pay for your sin, but is also there to cheer you on to greatness. Second, humility provides the passion of giving: Phil. 1:1b ". . . If any comfort of love. . .” Love is action word which gives and keeps on giving. Love is sacrificial selflessness given out as Christ sacrificially left heaven, dwelt on this earth, and then died to redeem you. It takes great humility to die for those who use you and spit upon you. Yet, it takes humility to receive blessings from humility. Third, there is partnership in gentleness: “. . . if any fellowship of the Spirit. . .” Fellowship is a sacrificial commitment to reach a shared vision. Christ shares your vision of becoming all you were created to be, thereby He died for you, rose again for you, and will partner in life with you. Quality fellowship demands humility. Finally, there is a perception of grief in humility: “. . . if any bowels and mercies . . .” Humility can feel and relate to the pains and trials of others, just as Christ feels your pain, and places every tear drop in bottle. It takes great strength to live humbly, and in this humility you will conquer life. Are you conquering life or simply reacting to it?