Crucified With Christ

By Bruce Stulting
    In Galatians 6:14 Paul says, “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.” In this verse, Paul show the proper place of glorying and in focusing on the Christ. He also speaks of two “crucifixions” here: The world is crucified to the child of God and the child of God is crucified unto the world. To be crucified to something means to be dead to it. So, Paul’s meaning here is to be dead or separated from the world.
    In Romans 6:3-5, Paul teaches that baptism is patterned after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Paul then explains in verse 6: “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.” This is the idea in Galatians 6:14. The Christian will not now let the world and its appeals, lusts, and enticements attract him. Because Paul had experienced the new birth at baptism, he was able to say:
    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).
    To be crucified with Christ is to turn from sin and the world and live to God. One is crucified with Christ when he is baptized. Only those who have been baptized can say that they have been crucified with Christ. By being crucified with Christ one becomes pleasing to God, so it is desirable.
    However, one can turn from the truth and back into the hardening process of sin. When this happens they are said to be “crucify[ing]…the Son of God afresh” (Heb. 6:6). In order to keep this from happening we must follow the exhortation found in Colossians 3:1-2: 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.
- Bruce Stulting; via the Belvedere Beacon, the weekly bulletin of the Belvedere Church of Christ, Belvedere, SC.  Ken Chumbley preaches for this congregation, and he may be contacted at their website: http://www.belvederechurchofchrist.orghttp://www.belvederechurchofchrist.org