What It Means to Be Crucified with Christ
By Sara Mix
Hi friends,
Have you ever tried to fix a problem by only dealing with what you could see?
Maybe you stopped saying something for a while.
Maybe you tried to control your temper.
Maybe you worked hard to break a habit.
And for a little while, it seemed better.
But then it came back.
That is because sometimes the visible problem is only the fruit.
God wants to deal with the root.
The Cross goes deeper than behavior
The Cross of Christ does not simply deal with the outward symptoms of sin.
It deals with the source.
That is such an important truth because we can spend years trying to make ourselves look better on the outside while never allowing God to address what is happening in the heart.
Mark 7:21–23 (KJV) reminds us that evil thoughts and sinful actions come from within.
The real issue is deeper than behavior.
It is the heart.
What is the self-life?
The lesson describes the self-life as the expression of our own will apart from God.
It can show up as:
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self-centeredness,
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self-righteousness,
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self-dependence.
And if we are honest, those things can hide behind very respectable appearances.
Self-centeredness says, “What about me?”
Self-righteousness says, “At least I am better than them.”
Self-dependence says, “I can handle this on my own.”
Sometimes these things are harder to recognize than obvious sins because they can feel normal.
But they all have something in common:
Self is still in control.
The root beneath the fruit
1 John 2:16 (KJV) says:
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
The outward sins may look different from person to person.
For one woman, it may be gossip.
For another, anger.
For another, jealousy.
For another, insecurity.
But beneath the outward behavior there is often a deeper root.
Pride.
Control.
Fear.
Self-protection.
Comparison.
The Cross does not only trim the branches.
It goes after the root.
Trying harder is not the answer
This is where many of us get discouraged.
We think the Christian life is about trying harder.
Be more patient.
Pray more.
Stop getting angry.
Stop worrying.
Stop comparing.
And those things matter.
But if the heart has not changed, we can end up exhausted from constantly trying to manage the fruit.
The Christian life is not simply behavior modification.
It is Christ living His life through us.
Crucified with Christ
Galatians 2:20 (KJV) says:
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…”
The Cross is not only about forgiveness.
It is also about the crucifixion of the self-life.
That does not mean God destroys your personality.
It does not mean you stop being who He created you to be.
It means the part of us that insists on living independently from God is no longer meant to rule.
The Cross frees us from the bondage of sin so that Christ can live through us.
Christ in you
One of the most beautiful truths in Scripture is found in Colossians 1:27 (KJV):
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
The Christian life is not about becoming strong enough to live for God.
It is about allowing Christ to live through us.
That changes everything.
Instead of saying:
“I need to try harder,”
we begin saying:
“Lord, live Your life through me.”
Instead of depending on ourselves, we depend on Him.
Instead of protecting our pride, we surrender it.
Instead of insisting on our way, we ask for His.
A new nature
2 Peter 1:4 teaches that believers are made “partakers of the divine nature.”
That means our identity has changed.
The old self-life no longer has to control us.
We can live from the new life Christ has given us.
The habits and old patterns may not disappear overnight.
But the root has been dealt with.
Think of a tree that has been cut down at the root.
The branches may remain for a little while.
But they no longer have a source of life.
In the same way, old habits may still try to show up.
But they do not have to rule us anymore.
Are we usable?
2 Timothy 2:20–21 gives us a beautiful picture of a vessel that has been purified and made ready for the Master's use.
That brings us to an important question:
Am I allowing God to use me?
Or am I still protecting areas of my life where self wants to stay in control?
Sometimes we ask God to use us while quietly holding onto:
our pride,
our plans,
our bitterness,
our reputation,
our comfort,
or our need to be in control.
But surrender makes room for God to work.
Reflection
Take a quiet moment today and ask yourself:
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Where is the self-life trying to rule in me?
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Am I dealing only with outward behavior, or am I allowing God to address the root?
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Am I depending on myself more than I am depending on Christ?
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Is there an area of my life I still need to surrender?
A Word of Encouragement
Friend, God is not simply interested in making you look better on the outside.
He wants your heart.
And that is good news.
Because He does not ask you to fix yourself before coming to Him.
He invites you to surrender.
The Cross goes deeper than the symptom.
It deals with the root.
And as we surrender the self-life, Christ is able to live more freely through us.
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” — Colossians 1:27 (KJV)
This is Part 4 of our 12-week series, What It Means to Be Crucified with Christ. Join us next week for Part 5: We Died with Him.