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The Crucified Life |
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by Ralph I. Tilley
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| At the very heart of Christianity there stands a Cross.
Apart from the atoning, vicarious death of Jesus Christ for the world’s sin, Christianity is reduced to an empty philosophy at its best or a cult at its worst. But this Cross-event was different because of who hung there. God’s unique Son hung there. The sovereign God and Creator of the universe gave up to that Cross His only begotten Son for man’s redemption and salvation. When God’s Lamb cried out that horrible and wonderful day, “It is finished!”, the way to God had been completed because there was now at last a sacrifice that was finally perfect: the sinless Son of God. As the Cross is central to the Christian faith, so it is central to the Christian life—or should be if it isn’t. Just as there could be no salvation for man without the Cross of Christ and an empty Tomb, there can be no victory in the Christian’s walk apart from the Cross. The Cross means death! When Jesus Christ died on Calvary’s Cross, He was not the only one who died—He took our old self with Him and nailed it to the tree! It is an objective fact of that salvation-event that a death-blow was struck to the old self (man, KJV): “For we know that our old self was crucified with him . . .”(1) Now because of this, here is a beautiful fact and an open secret revealed to all of God’s hungry-hearted seekers: Christian, you need not live a defeated life; your old self was crucified on the Cross of Christ! Oh, how many Christians there are who have languished in a spiritual wasteland since the day of their conversion to Jesus Christ. They have been born again, but they have no consistent victory over sin. They know their name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life, but their walk with God is punctuated with two steps forward and one step backward—or is that vice versa? Thank God, your sins have all been forgiven through Christ, but now what? How many of us following our conversion to Christ can identify with this English lad. Some six months after he placed his trust in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, Johnny went to a little hillside with a very troubled heart to talk with God. He cried, “Lord Jesus, if this is all you can do for me, I can’t take it anymore!” He had no more than prayed that prayer when the risen Christ he had addressed revealed to Johnny by His Spirit that He had not only died for His sins, but had nailed his sinful self to the Cross as well. The young man left the hillside that day empowered with a new level of real spiritual knowledge: not only were his sins forgiven, but his sinful self was crucified on the Cross as well. The truth of this reality is what the apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 6. He was writing to those who had come to faith in Christ but were failing to possess their possessions. Their conduct too often was characterized by failure and defeat instead of victory. They were failing Christians. What is God’s answer for the defeated Christian? Is there a word from Heaven? Yes, there is; it’s found in Romans 6. Rejoice with me in this truth. Remember what took place on the Cross of Christ. “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with [rendered powerless], that we should no longer be slaves to sin—”(2) Why is it so imperative for Christians to know this? Because “anyone who has died has been freed from sin!!!”(3) (exclamation points added). No, Paul isn’t advocating a kind of cultic sinless perfectionism. He is simply stating a glorious reality: In the death of Christ we have also died, and since we have died in His death we have been delivered—freed from sin. This is the answer for every defeated Christian. Struggling believer, the Gospel is GOOD NEWS for the Christian as well as for the sinner. All of your defeats and failures have been nailed to the Cross of Christ. Your victory has been already won and secured for you through the Cross. You don’t need to live in defeat! And do I now hear some skeptical believer sighing, “So what! What can I do about it?” Here’s what God tells us to do: Take a step of courageous faith. “consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”(4) Paul is saying that what happened as a fact on the Cross of Christ two thousand years ago (the crucifixion of your old self), must now be appropriated through faith. This will involve a total surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ and a full consecration of your body to God (review the remainder of Romans 6-8). But I assure you, on the authority of God’s Word, if you allow the Holy Spirit to help you appropriate this truth in your own life, you will discover a dimension in your walk with God that is both deeper and higher than you ever thought possible. What you had come to believe was the normal Christian life—defeat and despair—will now be left behind for a Canaan Land of growth, real spiritual knowledge and fruitfulness through abiding in the Vine, the Lord Jesus Christ. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,…”(5) I must confess that I wish I had known this truth and experienced the reality of it years before I did. If I had been more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, undoubtedly I would not have languished for as long as I did. This crucifixion of the old self on the Cross of Christ, and its consequent appropriation in our own life, is what Paul testifies to in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”(6) What glorious freedom and reality! Paul says that the old I is nailed to the Cross; the old I no longer shares the throne of his heart with Christ. It is all Christ’s. Christ has set up His kingdom in his heart and the old self, the old ego, the old I, has been dethroned and rendered powerless. Friend, is this so in your life? Have you discovered the open secret of the crucified life in Christ? If you have, and have entered into the reality of the crucified life with the Lord Jesus Christ—I know you are making some exciting new discoveries. Let’s note a few. You have discovered that you don’t need to be great or to be first. The need to be first and to be great is a common affliction for those Christians who are not walking the crucified road. You remember the disciples argument about this matter, don’t you? Christ rebuked them sharply for playing this vain game of comparisons. And this was happening in Christ’s own inner circle—in the Church. But not after Pentecost. When you’re full of the Spirit there is no room for ecclesiastical gamesmanship of this sort. My wife and I often remark in our travels about those churches with “First” in their names: First Baptist, First Wesleyan, First Christian, First Church of the Nazarene; First, First, First!! That’s humble of them, isn’t it? Even in the selection of the name (our own church identity) we resort to fleshly ecclesiastical comparisons. We were here first! Well, a crucified man soon discovers that he doesn’t have to be first. You have discovered that you don’t need everyone’s approval. That’s not to suggest that you don’t appreciate the sincere affirmations of the significant others in your life as well as godly counsel. You should, and do, I’m sure. And the longer I live the more I value the expressed appreciation and wisdom that comes from the Body of Christ. In this ministry there is hardly a week that goes by that I don’t receive a note of appreciation from a brother or sister in the Lord. And I’m so grateful for their taking the time to write. But those who walk the crucified road don’t live out the will of God with the over-riding thought of, “What will they think?” “Will they approve of this?” The crucified man walks with an eye that is single to the glory and praise of God. Many people are fickle—even Christians. We don’t instinctively discount or discredit what others think—that’s not living in wisdom—–but we don’t live in fear of others’ disapproval either. The crucified man will seek to do the will of God—regardless. You have discovered that you don’t need to have the last word. We are not the final word and we don’t need to be the last word. Christ is the final Word—He’s the Amen! How many church fusses, tensions, and splits could have been avoided if only … If only we had spoken with humility. If only we had deferred to our brothers and sisters in Christ. If only we had kept quiet. If only we had heard wisdom coming from our brother’s mouth instead of our own. Does it sound like I’m speaking from experience? I am. I’m sorry to say that I have not always walked this crucified road. Thank God for His patience, and for the patience of the Body of Christ. Like I heard a preacher say years ago, “I’m not what I want to be; but, thank God, I’m not the man I used to be.” But we need to remember that no matter how long we have served the Lord, we can still step off of the crucified road. Holiness and humility are always found in the company of one another. Where you find the one, the other will be close by. You have discovered that you’re not perfect. Oh, some would say that they already knew that before. Not really. No man or woman knows in truth how limited and imperfect he is until he has gazed into the face of the crucified, sinless Son of God. Once we have caught a glimpse of Him and start down the crucified road, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,(7) how we view ourselves is totally different. Then we can readily say, “I’m sorry”; “I don’t know”; “You were right”; “I didn’t realize that”; “I apologize.” “Please forgive me.” You have discovered the abiding life. Along with many of God’s children, you have discovered that the key to living an abundant life in Christ is to abide in Christ.(8) You have come to realize that as wonderful as certain experiences may be along this crucified road, the most critical thing for you to do is to simply trust and obey our Lord in whatever area of your life He chooses to address. Because you cherish an uninterrupted fellowship with your Lord more than life itself, you will make any sacrifice, pay any price and go to any length in order to keep His smile upon you. You want to keep His commandments and always do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And when you have discovered that you might have grieved the Holy Spirit about a matter, you will leave no stone unturned until Canaan’s music is singing sweetly in your heart once again. I know there are a multitude of other discoveries you have made as well. What is the secret latch that unlocks the door to this crucified life? Hear the words of our Lord: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”(9) Enter this road and live blessed. – Soli Deo Gloria – 1. Romans 6:6, NIV |
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