“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Taken from the NIV, this is one of my favorite verses. In large part, because the implications are incredible.
In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul specifically wrote that he had been “crucified with Christ,” and, as a result, he (Paul) no longer lived. Clearly, that doesn’t mean Paul died a physical death when Christ died upon the cross. After all, he couldn’t have written two-thirds of the New Testament.
So what does it mean? It means a “spiritual death”.
We can see in the previous verse that Paul states he became dead to the Law too. In other words, in the same way a physical death makes you incapable of being influenced by something, Paul claims he had become insensible to the law, to the world around him, to ambition, pride, and so on. What Paul is saying is that because of Christ’s sacrifice, these things no longer have power over us. They too where crucified with Christ.
According to the Word, when we become Christians (that is, when we accept Christ and are re-born Spiritually), we are to completely surrender to the perfect will of God. Don’t get me wrong, knowing what has happened and seeing it bear fruit are two different things. The reason for this is because our Flesh get’s in the way (see Romans 7:18-25). Our spirit is new, but it resides within us where that grubby Old Man also resides.
It’s impossible for us to overcome our inherited sinful nature on our own, which is why we need Christ and the daily assistance of the Holy Spirit, which resides in us. Surrendering to God’s will is an active choice, and it’s essential for our success (which is more than earning money, driving a nice car, and buying the next iPhone). Success is living within the parameters of God’s perfect will for us.
The choice of “letting go, and trusting in Christ” doesn’t make us a slave or a marionette. Far from it, as we play an active role. When we “repented” and became Christians, it wasn’t just asking for forgiveness; true repentance is a willingness and desire for change that conforms God’s plan for our lives. It’s a total surrender of one’s own control to the power and will of the Holy Spirit. That why in 1 Peter 1:23 he tells us we’ve been born again.
And it’s not easy street. We’re always going to be tempted. We’re always going to struggle with the flesh and temptations. We’re often going to take the easy road when it comes to getting our legitimate needs met. These behaviors and old patterns can be stamped out by renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). And that is a very important part of success in general.
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