What does it mean that YOU are crucified with Christ?
On the surface, it seems like one of the strangest verses in the Bible.
In Galatians 2:20, Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Wait, what? I have been crucified with Christ? What in the world does that mean.
Jesus’ death took place thousands of years ago. I wasn’t physically there when it happened. Yes, he died for me. Yes, my sins are forgiven because of him.
But what does it mean that I am crucified with Christ?
Let’s look a bit deeper at what the Bible has to say on this profound subject.
What Does It Mean That I Am Crucified With Christ?
In order to understand the staggering reality of being crucified with Christ, we need to first understand what it means that we are united to Christ.
Again and again through the New Testament, the Bible says that those who have trusted in Christ are spiritually, uniquely, organically joined to Christ.
We are so closely united to Jesus that when God looks at us, he sees Jesus and when he looks at Jesus he sees us.
In 1 Corinthians 6:17, Paul says, “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.“
In Romans 6:5, we read, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”
This is an utterly life-changing truth. If we can grasp this, it can completely change the way we live.
Jesus Is The Vine, We Are The Branches
We are united to Christ Jesus. Joined to him. Baptized into Christ. Of one spirit with him. His life flows into us, just like life flows from a vine to a branch.
In John 15:5, Jesus tells his disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
We have been grafted into Jesus like a branch grafted into a vine. He is ours and we are his. Christ is in us and we are in Christ Jesus.
You could say that Christ is our representative, and everything he did was on our behalf.
In his book Union With Christ, Rankin Wilbourne puts it this way:
In the same way, Christ represents those who place their faith in him. If we are united to Christ, then we are united to him in all that he has done for us. Christ represents those who come to be his so thoroughly that we are said to have been “crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20), “buried … with him” (Rom. 6:4), and “raised with Christ” (Col. 3:1). We are even “seated … with him in the heavenly places” (Eph. 2:6) now as we walk about with both feet on the ground.
Isn’t that beautiful? Christ represents us so thoroughly and so closely that it’s as if we did those things too. It’s as if we were crucified, buried, raised, and seated with Christ. Yes, it was Jesus who did these things, but because we are so closely joined to Jesus it’s as if we did them too.
If we’re going to understand what it means to be crucified to Christ, we must try to wrap our brains around the fact that we are really and truly joined to Jesus Christ.
Live In The Flesh By Faith In The Son
If we are going to understand the implications of what it means to be crucified with Christ, we also need to understand what happened when Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead.
In Romans 6:10, Paul says, “For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.”
When Jesus died, he died to the power of sin. Before he died, he could still be tempted to sin (though he was totally sinless). But when he died, sin lost all its power. Jesus could no longer be tempted to sin. He had died to sin and was alive to God.
Because we are united to Christ, we were also crucified with Christ. When we believed in Christ, God looked at us as if we too had died, were buried, and were raised to newness of life.
Our old self, the self that was enslaved to sin, died when we believed in Christ. This is why Paul says in Romans 6:6-7, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.”
What a glorious passage! Our old self was crucified with Christ, which means that we are no longer slaves to sin. We no longer have to obey the sinful passions and desires that once drove us. We no longer are followers of Satan, giving into the sinful desires that course through us.
We Are Raised With Christ
We have been crucified with Christ AND we have also been raised with Christ. We have new, resurrection life flowing through us. We literally have a new identity in Christ, and that identity changes everything.
Our new identity in Christ should dramatically influence the way that we live. We no longer have to give in to sin. Because we have been crucified with Christ, sin doesn’t have any enslaving power over us. We can put sin to death. We can say, “No,” to sinful passions and pleasures.
Titus 2:11-12 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age…”
We have experienced the regenerating, saving, life-giving grace of God. This grace has joined us to Jesus Christ, and his life really is our life.
Reflect on this staggering reality for just a moment. Do you know that you have the risen Christ in you, and his life is your life? You have died and risen with Christ, and because of this, you have also died to the power of sin.
Again, to quote Rankin Wilbourne:
Paul is saying union with Christ not only gives you a new identity; it gives you a new mindset, a new grid through which to filter everything that happens to you. For it’s not so much what happens to you that defines you, as how you interpret what happens to you.
When we’re tempted to sin, we need to interpret things through our new identity in Christ. Sin is no longer the controlling factor in our lives.
Because we have been crucified with Christ, we’re dead to sin. We now have the power to turn away from temptation. We really can put sin to death.
This why Paul says in Romans 6:22, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.”
Crucified With Christ: A Prayer
Father, thank you that I am crucified with Christ. Thank you that I am dead to sin and alive to God. Thank you for the new life that I have in Jesus. Thank you that I have a new identity – an identity of freedom and joy and life.
Because I have been crucified with Christ, help me now live as one who is dead to sin and alive to God. Help me put to death every sin that clings so tightly. Help me lay aside the weights that slow me down. Help me be holy as you are holy.
Thank you that sin is no longer my master. Jesus, you are the vine and I am a branch. I want to abide in you every single day. Let me be constantly aware of the new life that I have in you. Help me to live as one who has been crucified, buried, and is now raised with Christ.
I ask these things, confident that you are on my side and are at work in me, helping me to work out my salvation with fear and trembling. In Jesus name, Amen.
Wow, thank you for this brother. Now I really know what it means to be crucified in Jesus Christ and dead to sin.
Again, thank you so much. Titus 2:11-12 has really opened my eyes. I’ll definitely share this with my friends.
I’m so glad it was helpful for you! Thanks for your encouragement!
The key for everyone is forgiveness.
We are created in the image of God. We share His heart.
We are never more united with Him than in the moment we choose to forgive.
Great point Marie!
Truely this is a life changing sermon.Glory to God am blessed.
So glad it was helpful for you!
Thank you for the awesome sermon!
You’re welcome!
Amen! because I have this new identity in Christ Jesus I do have the power to say no to sin and I can only give the glory to The Holy Spirit because if it was not for The Holy Ghost that lives inside of me I would not have the power to say no to sin. If we continue in our sin then we are not of God because Matt. 6:24 tells us that we can not serve to masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye can not serve God and the rices of this world or whatever this world has to offer which is anything that is not of God or agreeable with the will of God. 2 Cor. 5:14 says For the love of Christ constraineth us; we were all dead to sin and our trespasses, that is why God sent Jesus to die for our sins so that we can may the privilege to choose eternal life through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus The Christ. He died for all, that they which live should no longer live onto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again. Hallelujah! Ephesians 5:14 Wherefore He said, Awake those of you that sleepest, or those whom are still held in captivity by sin, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. If we are not living in Christ and Christ living in us, we are walking in sin and darkness, because without Christ there is no light. Thank you again for the privilege to share. May God bless and keep you! Remember to put God first in All you do.