Being Crucified with Christ
by Terry Wane Benton
Formerly, Paul was an enemy of Christ and made it his mission to stomp out His church if possible. He thought he was doing God service as he searched to persecute and kill Christians, those Paul sincerely thought were heretics of the Jews' religion. According to the law of Moses, those who were heretics were to be executed. The Jews participated in the crucifying of Jesus, and Saul may have been there. If not, he was soon to be a leader in capturing and assisting in the trials and executions of these "heretical" (in his mind) disciples of Jesus. They were actually on the side of truth, and it was the leading Jews who had failed to know and follow the truth.
Jesus confronted Saul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) and asked him why he was persecuting Jesus. Saul was now forced to confront the truth. He came to realize what a fool he had been, how completely wrong he was, and now he was utterly hating the man he was, crucified that ignorant self inside, and now wanted to live by complete trust in Jesus. He united with Jesus in baptism (Romans 6:3-6) and washed his sins away (Acts 22:16). The old Saul had been crucified with Christ.
This means that he took a long, hard look at the crucifixion of Christ. The worst injustice had been dished out upon Jesus and now His followers. Paul saw Jesus in a new light. His mind raced through all the scriptures that he had ignored or misapplied, and now he could see that Jesus fulfilled the Law, Prophets, and Psalms in so many amazing ways he had not realized before. He could see Jesus' crucifixion as God's provision for our sin problems. He could see an amazing love from God in the cross. He could see that it was a divine demonstration of the greatest kind of selfless love. He could see that Jesus was crucified for him and all of us.
By assessing Jesus's crucifixion correctly, he could feel deep remorse for his spiritual blindness and pride. Something in his conscience was dying, and something new and alive rose up inside. He buried with Christ in baptism the former self that he desired to put away permanently. He was no longer ignorant of who Jesus was and what Jesus was doing on the cross. He was now crucified emotionally and in heart with Jesus. He was raised up to walk a new life, a forgiven and clean new life in Christ. He had a new purpose and mission in Christ and lived by faith, a complete trust in Jesus.
It was not the same Saul who came up from the waters of baptism. The old Saul had died to the love of sin and the old burdened life of Law alone. Here are the words of the new man, Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ:
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. I do not make void the grace of God: for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nought" (Galatians 2:20-21).
When we see Jesus's crucifixion correctly, we too will be drawn into such a great love, and we too will no longer want to live without Him. It changes our values, our priorities, and our mission in life. It is no longer I who lives. Jesus sets us on a new and far better life.
Have you been crucified with Him?
