Where is Our Crucifixion?
- (Galatians 2:11-13 Message) Later, when Peter came to Antioch, I had a face-to-face confrontation with him because he was clearly out of line. Here’s the situation. Earlier, before certain persons had come from James, Peter regularly ate with the non-Jews. But when that conservative group came from Jerusalem, he cautiously pulled back and put as much distance as he could manage between himself and his non-Jewish friends. That’s how fearful he was of the conservative Jewish clique that’s been pushing the old system circumcision. Unfortunately, the rest of the Jews in the Antioch church joined in that hypocrisy so that even Barnabas was swept along the charade.
- (Galatians 2:16, 19 Message) We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it—and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believe in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good…What actually took place is this: I tried keeping the rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being “law man” so that I could be God’s man.
- (Galatians 2:20) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
- (Matthew 16:21-25) From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but things of men.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for
me will find it.
How to Live the Crucified Life
(Romans 6:6-7) For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
1. Crucify Self.
- (1 Corinthians 15:31) I die every day.
- (John 3:30 NLT) He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
Step 1 : Humility
2. Crucify my flesh.
- (Galatians 5:24) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have been crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
- (Joshua 24:15)…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
Step 2: Choices
3. Crucify the world.
- (Galatians 6:14) May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
- (2 Corinthians 6:17-18) Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
Step 3: Separation
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As a child of God I want to know in detail how to live a crucified life just as every child of God desires to know the best way to live for Christ.
The crucified life can only start by getting on our knees and with our whole heart, ask God to take away anything in our life that keeps us from KNOWING HIM! When I did that, 3 months later, my husband lost his job and we lost our house. When that happened I truly experienced God as my HOPE, because there was no guilt or fear.
Later while living in Houston, TX, we went through Hurricane Amelia that left a foot of water in the house we rented. Self-pity filled me because of our loss and because of mildew, I feared we would get sick from it all. I should have never let those emotions get to me and should have praised the Lord that we did not lose it all. A few days later a friend suggested that since we had a Tropical Fish “Shop” in a garage at one time, that we could open a pet shop and he would give us the money to get started. We found a commercial place that had an upstairs apartment and could rent it at a reasonable rate. This helped pay our rent and food and kept me from working outside the home. We were able to add to the inventory until we were well established, as my husband worked another job.
There was another situation when I was angry at my husband because he wanted to spend money on merchandise that I knew would not sell in our shop. While I was telling him why it wouldn’t sell, the Lord asked me so sweetly, “Molly, why are you angry?” I immediately stopped speaking to Glenn, turned away and tried to make excuse for my being angry to the Lord. Before I could think, the Lord said, “I AM your Security”. I immediately saw my sin of having my security in the choices my husband made and especially in money. I asked forgiveness from the Lord and then walked over to Glenn and told him I was sorry for getting angry, to also forgive me, and to buy what he wanted. He suddenly stood up and said to me, “Are you saying that if it doesn’t sell, it will be all my fault?” I said, “No honey, do what you want; I’ll never bring it up again.” He was silent a minute and then he said, “Forget it, I won’t buy it.” It was then the Lord said to me, “That is what reigning in life is all about” (being humble). I didn’t let my husband know about hearing God which brought an inner joy, praise and glory of what God revealed to me.
When self-pity, anger, etc. reveals our insignificance or insecurity, God may reveal that He is our security and has all things in control. A child who knows his father feels his security and knows he is special in his father’s arms. We can know God in a deeper way when we learn to put off the things of the flesh and receive His word of LIFE in every trial. Colossians 3