LESSON II
CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST
TEXT. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20)
The natural state of man apart from the born again experience is pure selfishness. It is selfishness without mixture. Charles G. Finney defined selfishness as “regarding one's own happiness supremely, and seeking one's own good because it is his own.” The selfish places his/her happiness above all other interests and especially the glory of God. This selfishness is at the core of sin and must be crucified with Christ. Being crucified with Christ renders one free from sin and dead to sin. This truth is summed up in once verse; how shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:2b). In this lesson I propose,
I. To examine those who are dead IN sin.
II. To examine those who are dead TO sin.
I. Those who are dead IN sin are without Christ. They are strangers to the covenants of promise and are without both God and hope in this world (Ephesians 2:12). They live their life self-willed, fulfilling the desires of their flesh and of their mind; and are by nature the children of wrath. They love the world and the things of this world; therefor the love of the Father is not in them. Love for God manifests itself in selfless abandonment, but love for the world manifests it self in three ways:
A. The lust of the flesh
B. The lust of the eye
C. The pride of life
A. The lust of the flesh is simply covetousness. It is an inordinate desire for things. These are things that can range from your neighbor’s house to your neighbor’s wife. Generally, it is lust for material possessions. Paris Reidhead describes them as things that soon break, rust, get old and have to be hauled off to the garbage dump. This lust for things is the opposite of the personality of a giving God.
B. The lust of the eye is the desire for illicit or illegal experience. It is the desire to trespass against a boundary that God has set up. Fornication is illegal experience. Taking drugs and getting drunk is illegal experience. Any type of desire to do something that is forbidden of God can fall into this category. The finality of these types of sins is always idolatry.
C. The pride of life is the desire for ascendancy. To make a name for yourself or move up the chain of command. To be popular or rule and reign over a people. It is the desire to exalt yourself against your neighbor in any way you can. Any desire to promote one’s self above others is rooted in the pride of life. In contrast, Paul stated in Galatians 6:14; But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Paul was crucified to the world and the world to him. He had no use for the world and the world had no use for him. The nature of a born again believer is totally incompatible with the world. The world represents everything that the born again believer despises.
II. Those who are dead TO sin
1. The greatest miracle we could experience is to see God take an unholy man or woman out of an unholy world, given them a new heart, put them back into the world and keep them holy. Some have tried to live holy by moving away and living Monastic lives, but the enemy is just as apt to reach man in the desert as in the city if were not full of the Holy Ghost. The key to living holy in a holy world is not to move out of that world, but to DIE to sin. Those who are dead TO sin are those who have genuinely turned their life over to Christ, have been crucified with Him, and now walk in the newness of life. They have been buried with Christ in baptism unto death, to sin, and this world (Romans 6:4). Death in Christ hath set them free from the slavery of sin. Hence, dead servants are of no use to their masters. Therefor, no man can serve two masters. You are either dead to the former slavemaster of sin or are dead to God- you cannot be a servant of both.
2. Those who are dead TO sin have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. Paul writes; 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. Those who are dead to sin and alive to God have a different appetite than those who crave worldly things. Sin does not satisfy sinners and certainly will not satisfy the newborn believer. Peter uses gripping and colorful language to describe sin to a believer. II Peter 2:22 likens sin to vomit and says that dogs will return to vomit as pigs to the pig pen. This is precisely how true believers view sin. Yet, mysteriously Christians get re-entangled in old besetting sins. This is perhaps THE great problem of our day and it is compromise. God asks time and time again for Christian’s to lay certain sins down. Some do not realize that their “secret sin” is directly in the way of personal revival. Sin robs the believer of their appetite for God as well as their power to witness. Lay the sin down and in time the appetite will return. The power in prayer will return and so will the power to witness.
3. In Colossians 3:1-3 we read; If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. The key word here is IF. If you are risen with Christ it is because you are dead in Christ! As it is written, it is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. (II Timothy 2:12) You died and are dead to your own self-will. You died to the child of disobedience you once were. And because you are dead your life is hid with Christ in God. Your affection is in heaven and not on this earth. You are not your own you are bought with a price, therefor you glorify God in the body and life that is now His. For the truly born again of the Spirit, the only reason for living is to give glory to God.
REMARKS
In Luke 9:23 Jesus said; If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Again we are faced with that word IF. Do you desire to be a genuine disciple of Christ? Deny yourself daily by taking up your cross and following Him. The cross is like an altar- it is a place and the means of death. Dr. Tozer is frequently quoted as saying; “You knew one thing about a man that was carrying a cross out of the city- you knew he was not coming back.” Those who have wrestled with God in their personal Garden of Gethsemane and have declared “not my will but thine be done” are already dead. They are perpetual martyrs (witnesses) for the cause of Jesus Christ.
Are you dead to sin? Are you dead to the allurements of the world? Are you dead to criticism and praise? Are you dead to competition with your friends and family? Are you dead to climbing the corporate ladder or the management chain at your job? Are you dead to competition in ministry? Paul said let a man examine himself whether he be in the faith. This is a good means of examination. Do we have affection for God or is our affection set on this world? What governs your appetites?
Nothing is more miserable than trying to live both for God and this world. Jesus said- no man can serve two masters. So then, what is the attraction? Why even attempt it? Simply stated- they do not want God at the level He requires of them. They don’t want to die that they might live. Like Lot they don’t want the mountain. They don’t want full-blown sin- but they don’t want a close walk with God either. What happens? The outward pressures of the world and the inward struggle with the Holy Ghost become almost unbearable. The conviction and condemnation are torturous. The world wears you down as fast as God can strengthen you. Soon the joy of the Lord is gone and entertainment comes in. Rather than delighting in God- the delight is turned to worldly things. Soon fun and frivolity are misinterpreted as joy and a great confusion sets in that locks a believer up in a false feeling of genuine Christianity. Non-sinful things take the affection at first- but it is a slippery slope towards sin. Die to it! Come to the altar of death and determine to die once and for all daily to all of your own selfish appetites. Take up your cross daily, dead to sin and alive unto God.
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Robert Wurtz II ( - )
For almost 20 years I have served as a author and teacher of advanced biblical studies. My interests are the New Covenant, apologetics and classical revival. Native of the Kansas City, Mo area and reside now in Independence, MO with wife Anna.He is the author of many books including the newest Televangelicalism. In this insightful and thought provoking book, Robert Wurtz II traces the history of Christian evangelism from the book of Acts to modern times. The contrast between pre-1900 and post-1900 evangelism is so sharp, that the book is divided into two sections: Part 1, the pre-Billy Sunday era and Part 2, the post-Billy Sunday evangelistic era. This book is a must-read for anyone that has concerns about issues such as "the sinner's prayer" or shallow concepts of conversion.