CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST

Crucified with Christ...                                                      Galatians 2: 20

The epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians has a warning about 
falling for a kind of  works religion.  He was concerned with the pos-
sibility of doctrinal error producing a reversion to idolatry or kind of 
legalism which would make grace of no effect in their lives.  The sure
“cure”  for such apostasy  is  God's Word.  A  paraphrase of  verse 20 
might  read,  “I am being  crucified  with  Christ.”  He said  in another 
place that he had to put his  flesh to death on a daily basis in order to  
be  “in Christ.”  Beginning  with  the  necessary faith  in  God without
faith in self or  the flesh;  here  is the idea.   If  we are  alive in  Christ,
we are dead to self,  flesh, or  self  interest.  It  is as though we reckon 
ourselves to  be alive in  Christ  and  dead  to self.   Having  been spiri-
tually  dead,  prior to  being alive in  Christ,  it seems a natural conclu-
sion.   If we are alive at all, it is in Christ and He alive in us.  

     One other element  had  not occurred to  me before;  we can know 
we have life in Christ and are  dead to self,  if in every area of  life, as  
decisions are made,  it is with the reckoning ourselves dead.  In other 
words, we make decisions with the mind of Christ.  Our personal  pre-
ferences, comfort,  gain or loss are not at issue.  Since we are dead to 
self, we no longer  insist on opinions,  preferences  or  choices of  our 
own.   Our  choice is always on the basis of  the  purposes of  God the 
Father,  as did Jesus Christ.   Since  it is  possible to  have  "the mind 
of Christ," I must be in the Scripture daily to retain a fresh vitality, to 
walk with Him in the light of that day in the Word. It is not possible to 
 rely upon  “old”  knowledge of  Scripture.   Since the  Word of  God is 
alive,  active and  changes us,  it  must  be fresh  our  minds  are shar-
pened  by it.  One aside here from the  Old Testament; "iron sharpens 
iron."   For our minds to be sharp with  God’s Word, we must have  in  
depth  interaction with other believers of  like faith who daily sharpen 
their skills  in the  Scriptures.  We will spend time with  those who are
unbelievers as well.  They will  challenge us in ways  another believer  
would  be unable to do.  You  will see,  when  studying  the lives  of the
of the Apostle Paul and Jesus Christ,  they spent much time with men, 
teaching and  in fellowship, sharpening their skills in the Word.  Even
when the Apostle was in  prison  he was,  as much as  possible, in  the 
presence  of others with whom he could communicate the  gospel.  He 
and our Lord were continually  interacting with  others on a  personal 
basis.

        If we are to emulate them, we must be about the business of com-
municating  the  Gospel  of Jesus Christ  with those  to whom the Holy 
Spirit leads us.  It is not a willy nilly spouting of  the Gospel story,  but 
a studied, planned approach that will achieve the result intended; the
changed  lives of those with whom we communicate our faith in Jesus 
Christ.  To be specific,  the  purpose of  sharing  the  Gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ is to give life. We know from Scripture; those who do not know 
Christ do not have  life.  They are dead  in trespasses and  sins  just as 
we were  before  coming to  Christ.  We must  not,  however;  think  we
have arrived at some perfect state and are stooping to help, but as one 
who shares "bread" (Jesus Christ is the Bread  that "came down  from
heaven) with other hungry souls.  The  Life we communicate to others 
is not mortal, although  this life greatly affects one while on  the earth, 
but  is primarily Life Eternal in a place  where  God  dwells  with those 
who have gone before us.  

Today,  I have begun to understand,  as a Child of  God, everything 
I do, say, think, plan, contemplate and otherwise involve myself, must 
have one  purpose.  If  I do  anything  that  does  not  purposely glorify
my Lord,  it is sin.  Why Do I say this?   It is plain  in  God’s Word that 
we are occupied  by our Lord.  (The only one  true and living God.)  
We may refer to this one as Jesus Christ, the Spirit of  God,  the Spirit 
of Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost or simply Spirit, (God is Spirit) but the 
fact  remains  we are not  our own and  "we were  bought  at a  price."  
It is also true, we have surrendered to our Lord Jesus  Christ and  are 
occupied territory.  We,  are no longer free to make decisions indepen-
dently, but to weigh every thought,  plan, purpose, motive, etc. against 
the revealed Word of  God.  If  that thought,  plan,  purpose or  motive 
does not measure up, we must scrap it.  It  is no longer a mere mistake 
if we slip up.   It may be sin.  How do we arrive at this conclusion?

      "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."  Galatians 2: 20    kjv

  God’s  Word  states we may  have the “...mind of Christ.”  Since we 
have a resource available to us that is unimpeachable, when we con-
tinue making decisions using our natural "wisdom"  rather than the
wisdom God  gives,  we are  rebelling against a  Holy God and are on 
our own. “Lord, save me from the folly of self reliance.”    
In 1 Corinthians 2: 15-16 (KJV)

15." But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is
   judged of no man.  
16.  For who  hath known the mind of  the Lord, that he may 
   instruct him, but we have the mind of Christ."
                                         from  1 Corinthians 2

             “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart 
            and lean not unto thine own under-
              standing. 
           In all thy ways acknowledge Him and 
             He shall direct thy paths.” 
                                       kjv   Proverbs 3: 5-6

     donporter   10.13.12,  edited 3.17.17