B-A-C
Loyal
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2008
- Messages
- 11,227
It seems whenever you mention three crosses, that usually people conjure images of the two thieves on the crosses next to Jesus.
But in this case, I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about you. Have you ever been crucified?
In Galatians six, Paul says...
Gal 6:14; But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
I don't know how many times I've read this verse, but I notice here, it mentions the cross of Christ. It also mentions the world being "crucified to me", and finally it mentions I myself being crucified "to the world".
There are three things being crucified all in this one verse. 1. Jesus. 2. The world. 3. Myself.
I don't need to say much about the first one, all Christians know Jesus died on the cross and rose again.
Somewhat lesser known, is that we also need to be crucified.
Gal 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.
A song made popular by Phillips, Craig and Dean is called "I Am Crucified With Christ". It's a great song, if you don't know it, I recommend giving it a listen.
In Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus says we need to "deny ourselves" and take up our cross and follow Him.
Matt 16:24; Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Mark 8:34; And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Luke 9:23; And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
Of course, this doesn't mean we are physically nailed to a cross like Jesus was. But rather we die to "self". We deny ourselves. Have you ever denied yourself? What does that mean?
It means we die to our old sinful, rebellious, lustful ways. We die to what we want and live for Christ.
We fight the war of sin on three fronts.
The devil. The flesh. The world.
I don't need to say a lot about the Devil, all Christians know that Satan tempts us frequently.
The flesh, that's us. That's you and me. We don't need the Devil to tempt us, we are quite capable of sinning on our own.
The world, that's all the outside influence of everything that's not directly Satan. The songs we here, the shows and movies we watch, our friends, commercials, etc...
In a way much of this world is under the influence of Satan, but not everything is directly under Satan, sometimes it's just ignorance of well-meaning people.
Whether you know it or not, all these things can influence you to sin, if you let them.
Paul says we need to "die" to sin. No longer obey sin.
Rom 6:11; Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Rom 6:13; and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
All of this to say, if you are a Christian... you know Jesus was crucified for you.
You may even know that you need to be crucified to sin and take up your cross.
But have you crucified the world and all its ungodly influences in your life as well?
Gal 6:14; (NLT) As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.
But in this case, I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about you. Have you ever been crucified?
In Galatians six, Paul says...
Gal 6:14; But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
I don't know how many times I've read this verse, but I notice here, it mentions the cross of Christ. It also mentions the world being "crucified to me", and finally it mentions I myself being crucified "to the world".
There are three things being crucified all in this one verse. 1. Jesus. 2. The world. 3. Myself.
I don't need to say much about the first one, all Christians know Jesus died on the cross and rose again.
Somewhat lesser known, is that we also need to be crucified.
Gal 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.
A song made popular by Phillips, Craig and Dean is called "I Am Crucified With Christ". It's a great song, if you don't know it, I recommend giving it a listen.
In Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus says we need to "deny ourselves" and take up our cross and follow Him.
Matt 16:24; Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Mark 8:34; And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Luke 9:23; And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
Of course, this doesn't mean we are physically nailed to a cross like Jesus was. But rather we die to "self". We deny ourselves. Have you ever denied yourself? What does that mean?
It means we die to our old sinful, rebellious, lustful ways. We die to what we want and live for Christ.
We fight the war of sin on three fronts.
The devil. The flesh. The world.
I don't need to say a lot about the Devil, all Christians know that Satan tempts us frequently.
The flesh, that's us. That's you and me. We don't need the Devil to tempt us, we are quite capable of sinning on our own.
The world, that's all the outside influence of everything that's not directly Satan. The songs we here, the shows and movies we watch, our friends, commercials, etc...
In a way much of this world is under the influence of Satan, but not everything is directly under Satan, sometimes it's just ignorance of well-meaning people.
Whether you know it or not, all these things can influence you to sin, if you let them.
Paul says we need to "die" to sin. No longer obey sin.
Rom 6:11; Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Rom 6:13; and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
All of this to say, if you are a Christian... you know Jesus was crucified for you.
You may even know that you need to be crucified to sin and take up your cross.
But have you crucified the world and all its ungodly influences in your life as well?
Gal 6:14; (NLT) As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.
