Born Crucified, yet Alive in
Christ
The Christian life is a daily
putting off all that belonged to the unregenerate
old self and constantly putting on all that belongs
to the new life in Christ. The cross and the
resurrection extend their power and influence over
the believer’s entire life.
The Christian life is
constantly producing new life. This new life in
Christ through His Spirit must be daily replacing
within the soul what our daily crucifixion of the
flesh is taking away. This new life in Christ fills
the emptiness created by self-denial with some new
likeness of Christ. In place of the natural
affection, there comes some new divine affection
(Eph. 4:17-32).
“You are dead . . . . you are
risen with Christ” (Col. 3:1, 6).
The flesh will never produce a
strong spiritual life that pleases God and looks and
smells like authentic Christianity. The flesh will
always disgrace the Lord Jesus Christ no matter how
you try to dress it up in legalism.
The Holy Spirit is busy making
real in the believer’s life what is already true of
him doctrinally.
The believer has not only died,
but is to “die daily” with Christ as long as we live
in this present life because we are in “an
irreconcilable enmity” between the flesh and the
spirit (Gal. 5:17). We have no option but to take up
the cross daily in following Christ. The flesh can
only reproduce itself. It holds no possibility of a
divine life. This dying to self and sin is something
we do daily.
Our life-long growth in
Christ-likeness is a determination to deliver us to
death for Christ’s sake all that is kin to our old
life before we gave our lives to Christ. It is also
a commitment to put on Christ daily.
It is each believer’s
responsibility to submit to the work of the Holy
Spirit in mortifying the flesh and therefore bring
our body under the dominion of the cross of Christ.
Moreover, the Christian life is
not just a life of crucifixion; it is also a new
life in Christ Jesus.
“You are risen with Christ.”
This is the second part of this essential doctrine
of Christian living. Our progressive sanctification
includes both “taking off” the old self and “putting
on” the new. Since “you are risen with Christ” keep
on “seeking those things which are above.”
Yes, we “die daily,” but we
were also made a “new creation” in Christ and our
inward person is being “renewed day by day.”
The apostle Paul wrote, “I
live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me” (Gal.
2:20).
The daily spiritual growth of
the Christian towards perfection lies always in
these two opposite directions. The believer is
always subjecting, repressing, and mortifying the
natural man on the one hand, and nourishing,
developing, and renewing the spiritual man on the
other. It is not one or the other; it is both
principles and activities working in conjunction
with one another.
It is our responsibility to
daily judge and mortify all that we find in our
attitudes, behaviors and values that are in the
flesh and contrary to authentic Christian living.
Yes, there must be a daily denial to anything that
is not Christ-like.
A negative process is never
adequate to accomplish a positive goal. And no
amount or kind of self-denial can make a person
holier, or sinless. What is needed is the means of
bringing him into more intimate fellowship with
Christ. Every retreat from the life of the flesh
must be followed by a deeper entering into the life
of the Spirit. We take off the old man, and we put
on the new man in Christ.
As we abide in Christ, we walk
as our Lord walked.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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