Crucified

 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20....."The trouble with Saul (the king) was that he never gave up Saul...We are willing to give everything to God but ourselves....God gives us a new heart then says, 'Give Me your heart.' " Vance Havner

If someone asked you to explain what Paul means in Galatians 2:20, could you? If someone asked you to describe the result of doing what Paul did, could you? If someone asked if you are living in the experience of Galatians 2:20, are you? Do we really believe that this verse is applicable for us today, and if we do, why is it that it seems so few of us really walk in this experience? What keeps us from it?

Crucifixion was a horrible punishment, a horrible way to die. The suffering was beyond belief, and it had to have seemed like every part of the body was dying, and all at the same time. In His total surrender to His Father, Christ the Son willingly went to such a death in order that He might bring life from death, conquering the power of sin, and offering an open door back to the Father God that our sin has separated us from. Before He submitted to the physical death of the cross, He submitted to the complete "death" of His will, every part of His will. He was His Father's. This was and is what Paul writes of. Paul willingly chose to die in every part of his life. His will, his desires, his past, present, and future. He, like His Lord, was fully given over and surrendered to His God. As he wrote in Scripture, he was not his own. He was the "property" of His Father in heaven.

Physical crucifixion was a terrible and painful death. In many ways, spiritual crucifixion is every bit as painful. Maybe more so. In it, we bring ourselves, our whole selves to the cross of Christ. We submit to its power to "kill" everything within us that keeps us at odds with, in rebellion against God. At root, we die to the self-will that we might live in the fullness of His. Our flesh, that is, our fallen nature, despises the very thought of this. It insists on its way and will. It cannot be forcibly taken to the cross. It must submit to it. We will face no greater battle in our spiritual lives than this one. Who will rule us? Our flesh, our self-will, or His Spirit, and the living out of His will? Being in control is everything to us, which is why so many never want to yield to Him. Like King Saul, we are never willing to give up ourselves. As Havner says, we are willing to give Him everything....but ourselves. Our self-life is what is most precious to us. It doesn't wish to give up its throne in our hearts.

Yet, if we will, we'll discover all that is gained. As Havner writes, God gives us new life, a new heart. We're on board with that. We'll freely take all that He gives us in our salvation. But then, as Havner says, He brings us to the place where He calls, actually, commands us; "Give Me your heart." Here we stumble. We're overjoyed to receive Him as our Savior, our flesh rebels at the call to surrender to His Lordship. When the cross takes all the range of vision before us, we shrink back. And we keep shrinking. And we miss what He gives us at the cross, all the fullness of His Holy Spirit Life. We have to "die" that we might really live.

Christ died that we might live, and that offer of life is guaranteed in His resurrection. He conquered death in every form. When we submit to that same death of self, we enter into the fullness of that life, fully empowered by His Spirit. Some call it being baptized in the Spirit, others simply filled with His Spirit, but by whatever name, it is entering into the experience of His Holy Spirit filled and empowered life. He was the Victor over death in every way. In Him we become victors as well. We still face troubles, challenges, and hardships, but in Him, we have the power to persevere, overcome, and grow ever stronger and deeper in Him, as well as entering into an intimate experience of Him through our relationship in Christ. We experience, realize, what it is to have "victory in Jesus."

If you've read this far, can you go back and read those first questions I asked? How do you answer them now? How do you want to answer them? Where will you go from here?

Blessings,

Pastor O