What It Means to Be Crucified with Christ
Hi friends,
Sometimes the Christian life can feel like a long list of things we are supposed to stop doing.
Stop worrying.
Stop being bitter.
Stop giving in to old habits.
Stop trying to control everything.
But the Cross is not only about what dies.
It is also about what comes alive.
That is what makes this lesson so beautiful.
The Cross is not a dead end.
It is the pathway to life.
The heart of the matter
Colossians 2:11–12 describes a spiritual cutting away of the flesh and then reminds us that we are buried and raised with Christ. The lesson explains this as something happening in the heart, not merely in the physical body.
The flesh represents that carnal nature that wants its own way.
Its own control.
Its own desires.
Through Christ, the power of that old self-life is broken.
That means the Christian life is not simply learning to behave better.
It is learning to live from a new source.
Buried with Him
The lesson asks what it means to be “buried with Him.”
It points us to our union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.
Romans 6:3–4 (KJV) says:
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
That phrase is so important:
Walk in newness of life.
We do not stay at the grave.
We rise.
What needs to die?
Salvation involves a very real putting away of the old life.
The lesson names things like:
-
pride,
-
bad habits,
-
sinful desires.
Later, it asks us to consider what still needs to die:
-
bad habits,
-
fear,
-
guilt,
-
bitterness,
-
self-centeredness.
Those things can keep us tied to an old way of living.
And sometimes we hold onto them longer than we should because they have become familiar.
But familiar does not mean healthy.
And familiar does not mean God wants us to keep it.
What needs to rise?
The lesson also asks the opposite question.
What needs to rise?
-
love,
-
joy,
-
peace,
-
purpose,
-
freedom in Christ.
I love that contrast.
The Cross does not simply remove things.
It makes room for something better.
Fear dies so faith can grow.
Bitterness dies so peace can grow.
Self-centeredness dies so love can grow.
Guilt loses its grip so freedom can rise.
Resurrection brings freedom
Romans 6:7 (KJV) says:
“For he that is dead is freed from sin.”
The lesson explains resurrection life as living free from the old patterns that once held us captive.
That does not mean we never struggle again.
It means we are no longer defined by the struggle.
We are no longer powerless.
We have been given a new identity in Christ.
A new creation
2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) says:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
That is more than a nice verse to memorize.
It is our reality.
If you are in Christ, you are not simply an improved version of who you used to be.
You have been made new.
That means old labels do not have the final say.
Old patterns do not have the final say.
Old failures do not have the final say.
Christ does.
Walking out the new life
Colossians 2:6–7 (KJV) says:
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith…”
The lesson gives three simple pictures of what walking in newness of life looks like:
-
It is a daily decision.
-
It is ongoing growth.
-
It is living in daily gratitude.
That means the Christian life is not about one emotional moment.
It is a steady walk.
One decision at a time.
One act of obedience at a time.
One day of gratitude at a time.
Rooted and built up
Trees do not become strong because of one good day of sunshine.
They become strong because their roots grow deep.
The same is true for us.
We become rooted in Christ through:
time in His Word,
prayer,
obedience,
fellowship,
trust,
and continued surrender.
Growth is not always dramatic.
Sometimes it is quiet.
Sometimes it is slow.
But God is still working.
From death to life
The pathway of the Cross always moves somewhere.
From death to life.
From bondage to freedom.
From fear to peace.
From self to Christ.
Galatians 2:20 (KJV) reminds us:
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…”
That is the goal.
Not simply less of the old life.
But more of Christ.
Reflection
Take a quiet moment today and ask yourself:
-
What still needs to die in me?
-
What is God trying to bring to life?
-
Am I walking in newness of life, or returning to old patterns?
-
What would one daily step of obedience look like this week?
A Word of Encouragement
Friend, the Cross is not the end.
It is the beginning.
It is where the old life loses its power and resurrection life begins.
So do not only ask:
“What do I need to surrender?”
Also ask:
“Lord, what do You want to grow in me?”
Love.
Joy.
Peace.
Purpose.
Freedom.
That is the pathway to life.
“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” — Romans 6:11 (KJV)
This is Part 11 of our 12-week series, What It Means to Be Crucified with Christ. Join us next week for the final post, Part 12: A Divine Go-Between.