What It Means to Be Crucified with Christ
Hi friends,
There is a big difference between knowing something is true and actually living like it is true.
We can know the Cross matters.
We can believe Jesus died for our sins.
We can understand the doctrine.
But God never intended the Cross to be something we only look back on.
He wants it to shape how we live today.
That means the Cross becomes personal.
Practical.
Daily.
More than head knowledge
Paul writes in Philippians 3:10 (KJV):
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”
Paul wanted more than information about Jesus.
He wanted intimacy with Him.
Transformation.
Conformity to Christ.
To “know Him” means more than knowing facts.
It means walking closely with Him.
To know the power of His resurrection means living in new life.
To share in His sufferings means being willing to walk through hardship faithfully.
And to be made conformable unto His death means learning to die to self daily.
Experiencing the Cross through death to sin
Romans 6:6–7 (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. For he that is dead is freed from sin.”
When Christ died, our old life was crucified with Him.
Experiencing the Cross means choosing each day not to let sin rule us.
That includes the obvious sins.
But it also includes the quiet ones.
Jealousy.
Pride.
Cowardice.
Self-will.
Self-seeking.
Self-glory.
Those are the things that can hide deep in the heart.
And the Cross brings them into the light.
Reckon yourself dead to sin
Romans 6:11 (KJV) says:
“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
To reckon something means to count it as true.
So when temptation comes, we do not have to act as though sin still owns us.
We can say:
“That is not who I am anymore.”
“I do not have to obey this.”
“I belong to Christ.”
That is what it means to live from the reality of the Cross.
Returning to the Cross daily
The Cross also becomes a place of continual cleansing.
1 John 1:9 (KJV) says:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
We do not become perfect the moment we are saved.
We still struggle.
We still fail.
We still need repentance.
But we do not have to stay in guilt.
We come back to God.
We confess.
We receive forgiveness.
We let Him cleanse us.
The Cross is not only where salvation began.
It is where renewal continues.
The exchanged life
One of the most beautiful parts of this lesson is the idea of the exchanged life.
Galatians 2:20 (KJV) says:
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…”
The Christian life is not about trying harder to become better.
It is about allowing Christ to replace what self cannot produce.
We exchange:
Pride for humility.
Fear for confidence in God.
Complaining for praise.
Defeat for victory.
Our emptiness for His fullness.
What does that look like in real life?
It looks like forgiving someone who hurt you deeply.
Saying no to gossip.
Refusing bitterness.
Obeying God in a difficult marriage.
Walking faithfully in a hard workplace.
Trusting Him in suffering.
Choosing praise when complaining would be easier.
That is what the Cross looks like in experience.
It moves from theology into everyday life.
God may bring new areas to light
As we grow, the Holy Spirit often reveals things we did not see before.
A motive.
An attitude.
A habit.
A hidden pride.
A fear.
A need to control.
When He brings those things to light, our response should not be shame.
It should be agreement.
“Lord, You are right.”
And then we surrender that area to Him.
That is how the Cross continues to shape us.
The Cross is power, not just pain
Sometimes surrender feels painful.
But the Cross is not only about loss.
It is also about power.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV) says:
“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
There is grace in surrender.
There is strength in weakness.
There is freedom in forgiveness.
There is resurrection power on the other side of dying to self.
Reflection
Take a quiet moment today and ask yourself:
- Am I only understanding the Cross, or am I living from it?
- What hidden area of self has God been bringing to light?
- What do I need to exchange today?
- Where do I need His strength instead of my own?
A Word of Encouragement
Friend, the Cross is not only something that happened for you.
It is something God wants to work through you.
Every time you choose repentance over pride,
forgiveness over bitterness,
trust over fear,
and surrender over self-will,
you are living in the reality of the Cross.
And that is where His life becomes more visible in yours.
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection…” — Philippians 3:10 (KJV)
This is Part 10 of our 12-week series, What It Means to Be Crucified with Christ. Join us next week for Part 11: Pathway to Life.