[Biblemat] A) CRUICIFIED WITH CHRIST

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  A very good Monday morning
to each and everyone.  May God bless you and yours.  Here is an artic-
le from my files:

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST

       "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I life; 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 give Himself
for me" (Gal. 2:20).

       This is a most interesting statement made by Paul.  How is it
that Paul could say that Christ now lives in him?  It was because
Paul had molded himself into the image of Christ.  How did this
happen?

       Paul began this process when he went into Damascus and was told by 
Ananias to "Arise, and be baptized and wash away
thy sins" (Acts 22:16).  Paul had lived in the flesh as a Jew and 
as a Jew could glory in who he was (Phil. 3:7-14).  But at Paul's
conversion, that changed.  He no longer lived doing what he
previously thought was right or what would give him a lofty repu-
tation among the religious and political leaders.  He crucifed self
to live for Christ.

       Paul wrote to the Romans concerning the crucifying of the
old man.  "Know ye not, that so may of us as were baptized into
Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?  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
should walk in newness of life...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" (Rom. 6:3,4,6).  Notice
Paul said he was buried and arose to walk in a new life.  Why?
Because the old man had been crucified; he had put to death
the affections and lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:24).

       Our new life will be focused on the things above, and not on
things on the earth.  We will have our minds set on Christ for He
is now our life (Col. 3:1-4).  Yes, we continue to live in the flesh,
but now that Christ is enthroned in our lives, our actions will be
pleasing to Him.  Our lives will be lives of faith.  Trusting Him and
looking to His Word to find the direction for our lives (Rom. 10:17; Prov. 
3:5).

       What is the motive of the Christian's life?  One motive may be heaven, 
the prepared home for the faithful, and that is a great
motive.  But another motive Paul mentions here is the sacrifice
of Christ for us upon the cross, "He loved me and gave Himself
for me."  As we walk in life thinking of how much Christ valued
us by giving His own life for us, we should be motivated to live to please 
Him and to do the work He has left for us to do.

       May God help us to be "crucified with Christ" and to mold our life 
into the image of His dear Son.  May our hearts and minds say as the song says: 

"Mold me, make me, as you'd have me be,
Take me, use me, that the lost may see,
Guard me, guide me, through this pilgrim land,
Make me as clay in the potter's hand.

----------------- David A. Cox in Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 26, June
29, 2008.   </HTML>
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