What it Means to be Crucified with Christ
Hi friends,
When we think about the Cross, most of us immediately think about forgiveness.
We think about Jesus taking our place, bearing our sins, and paying the price we could never pay.
And that is absolutely true.
But the Cross did even more than forgive us.
It became the place where sin’s power was broken.
The Cross is not only where Jesus died for our sins. It is also the turning point where the old life ends and new life begins.
The Great Exchange
One of the clearest pictures of what Jesus accomplished for us is found in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV):
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Jesus never sinned.
Yet He willingly carried the full weight of our sin upon Himself.
He took what belonged to us so that we could receive what belonged to Him.
He took our guilt.
We received His righteousness.
He took our condemnation.
We received forgiveness.
He took our death.
We received life.
That is the great exchange of the Cross.
From Death to Life
Sin entered the world through Adam, bringing death and separation from God.
But Christ came to reverse what sin had done.
1 Corinthians 15:22 (KJV) says:
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
Being “in Christ” changes everything.
We are no longer spiritually defined by Adam’s fall.
We are made alive through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
That new life should affect more than where we will spend eternity.
It should also change how we live today.
Our Old Man Was Crucified
Sometimes we know we are forgiven, but we still live as though sin owns us.
We say things like:
“This is just who I am.”
“I will never overcome this.”
“I have always struggled with this, so I probably always will.”
But Scripture tells us something different.
Romans 6:6 (KJV) says:
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
The “old man” refers to the person we were before Christ—the life ruled by sin.
At the Cross, that old life was crucified with Him.
This does not mean believers will never face temptation again.
It means sin no longer has the right to rule us.
We may still feel the pull of old habits, but we are no longer helpless servants to them.
Through Christ, we can choose obedience.
Why Do We Still Struggle?
You may be wondering, “If my old nature was crucified, why do I still struggle with sin?”
Because knowing the truth and living from that truth are not always the same thing.
We can be free and still think like captives.
We can be forgiven and still carry shame.
We can have victory available to us and still return to old patterns.
That is why Scripture repeatedly calls us to believe, reckon, and walk according to what Christ has already accomplished.
Victory does not come from pretending temptation is not real.
It comes from remembering that temptation is no longer our master.
Christ Lives in You
Paul gives us another powerful truth in Galatians 2:20 (KJV):
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…”
The Christian life is not simply us trying harder to become like Jesus.
It is Christ living His life through us.
When temptation comes, we do not have to face it only with willpower.
We can pause and remember:
Christ lives in me.
His Spirit is with me.
His strength is available to me.
I do not have to obey this temptation.
No Condemnation
One of the enemy’s most effective weapons is condemnation.
He reminds us of what we have done.
He tells us we will never change.
He uses our failures to convince us that God is disappointed and distant.
But Romans 8:1–2 (KJV) says:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…”
Because of Jesus, believers are no longer under the sentence of condemnation.
That does not make sin unimportant.
It means that when we fail, we can confess, repent, receive forgiveness, and keep walking with God.
Shame tells us to hide.
Grace calls us to come near.
Leave It at the Cross
Colossians 2:14–15 teaches that Christ took the record of our offenses and nailed it to the Cross.
He publicly triumphed over the powers that stood against us.
The debt has been paid.
The accusations have been answered.
The power of sin has been broken.
So why do we keep picking up what Jesus already carried?
Why do we continue carrying guilt He has forgiven?
Why do we keep returning to shame He already covered?
Friend, there are some things we need to leave at the foot of the Cross.
Reflection
Take a quiet moment today and ask yourself:
-
Is there a sin, shame, or struggle I keep carrying even though Christ has already dealt with it?
-
Do I see myself as forgiven but still powerless?
-
What would change if I truly believed that sin no longer has authority over me?
A Word of Encouragement
The Cross is the stopping place for sin.
It is where sin’s penalty was paid.
It is where sin’s authority was broken.
And it is where a new life became possible.
You may still face temptation.
You may still have moments of weakness.
But you do not have to live defeated.
Because Jesus did not only die to forgive you.
He died to set you free.
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” — Romans 8:2 (KJV)
This is Part 2 of our 12-week series, What It Means to Be Crucified with Christ. Join us next week for Part 3: Our Identity with Christ.
By Sara Mix