CRUCIFIED in CHRIST: A Miracle Worth Telling
“I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart;
(The Psalms 9: 1-2 NASB)
I will tell of all Your wonders.
I will be glad and exult in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High.”
There are just times in our lives when we need to attend funerals, and if we are truthful, these events are never easy to attend because there are those present who are grieving & because the one in the casket might be dear to us. However, when death occurs, we are called to go, to attend, and when it is time to depart, we are to leave empty-handed, not taking that which has died with us. Now, maybe you have just read that last line, scratched your head, and think: “What?”
Today, let us remember the cross of Christ, and let us consider our sinful nature that died when we gave our hearts to Jesus. It was crucified, when we gave our heart to Jesus. Our old sin nature, our birthright we received when we entered the human race—has been crucified. My sinful flesh and your sinful flesh (the old desires and passions that we once walked in) have been CRUCIFIED.
“I have been crucified with Christ;
(The Letter of Paul to the Galatians 2:20 NASB)
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.”
Years ago, a pastor put this verse to music, sitting within our small Bible study group, asking us to sing along, to memorize the words. He knew that we would need this verse (even all the verses of the Bible) for our entire lives. When our daughter had her son, I found myself singing to him whenever I rocked him in our glider, and as I rocked back-and-forth, I sang: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; . . .”
The musical artist Anne Wilson sings a melody “God Story,” reminding us how “His fingerprints on every single page [of our lives].” May we tell the world our testimony. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
The cross is a place of death; it has always been a place of death, and it always will be. Therefore, when we gave our hearts to Jesus, then our sins were nailed to the CROSS of CHRIST. Those sins must remain there, nailed. We are living, breathing and existing human beings, but now we are new creatures created in Christ, so His Holy Spirit dwells (exists) within us, so we sing: “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.”
We will sin; it’s our human nature as we live here on earth, but now because we belong to Jesus, we do not sin and remain in our sin. NO. WE REPENT & WE REPENT QUICKLY. We are to take ahold of what is ours in CHRIST. May we exercise daily our NEW LIFE in CHRIST as we walk by faith, in His Grace, and may we grow in our knowledge of HIM.
“Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
(The Letter of Paul to the Galatians 5: 24 NASB)
We have a new identity in Christ; it is imperative that we identify with His Perfect Life.
We have a new identity in Christ; it is necessary that we identify with His Perfect Truth.
We have a new identity in Christ; it is so important that we identify & walk with Christ moment-by-moment, step-by-step, never looking back, never longing to return to our old sinful self.
CHRIST JESUS—our sufficiency and our strength.
MAY WE ALLOW THE LIFE OF CHRIST JESUS DEVELOP WITHIN US.
MAY WE SUBMIT TO HIS HOLY SPIRIT.
MAY WE WALK FORWARD IN HIS FREEDOM.
“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You,
(The Psalms 9: 10 NASB)
For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”
Can we get a hallelujah? Can we get a praise? Can we stand, raise our hands, sing, dance, twirl, and shout: “Thank You, Jesus!”