THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST

TEXT: Galatians 2:20

INTRODUCTION:

Forest Evashevski was coach of Iowa State when they won the Rose Bowl. The Hawkeye fans thought so much of him, they bought a brand new car for him. He drove it home, pulled up in the front yard and got out.

His housekeeper, who was a godly woman, was out on the front porch sweeping. Pointing to the car, he said, "What do you think of this? The fans gave it to me because of our victory."

She said, "Well, sir -- just remember, the same people who praised Jesus one day, crucified Him the next!"

The world is a fickle place! People are different today from yesterday. But God is the SAME ALL THE TIME!

One of the reasons we have so many pride-filled, worldly Christians today is because they have never come to know the REAL MEANING of the cross of Jesus.

Please allow the Bible to speak to you the REAL MEANING of the cross today.

The REAL reason Jesus died on that cross was for the GLORY OF GOD. The Glory of God is such that He can stop being Who He IS long enought to become what we NEED!

And the purpose of the cross in the Bible is that men must come TO that cross and do like Jesus in order that they may be saved. We must STOP being who we are, and become what God WANTS!

I've said it before; and, I'll say it again: WITHOUT SURRENDER THERE IS NO SALVATION!

"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

The Bible says that WITHOUT being "in Christ" a person cannot be a new creation (See John 3:16 and 2Corinthians 5:17). We must DIE to SELF and determine to BECOME what God WANTS!

The security of believers in Christ is based SOLELY upon TOTAL SURRENDER!

A little walk down the aisle, repeating a "sinners prayer," coupled with all the dunking in the world does NOT make a disciple of Christ!
Sin is a DISEASE -- It's a HEART/SPIRT DISEASE!
Sin can only be CHANGED by SPIRITUAL DEATH!

That's why we have so many "prima donnas" sitting in churches across the world today who never read their Bibles, never grow, and never become faithful witnesses to Christ in their homes, work-places and neighborhoods.

They have never been CRUCIFIED with CHRIST!

And, therefore, they have never been BORN AGAIN -- made into NEW CREATIONS! In order to be TRULY saved, one must "let GO, and LET GOD!"

There was a Cardinal (Von Faulhaber) of Germany who visited Albert Einstein. Einstein said, "Sir, I respect religion, but I believe in mathematics. Probably it is the other way around with you."
The Cardinal said, "Oh no. To me, both are merely expressions of the same exactness."
Einstein said, "But...what would you say if mathematical science one day came to conclusions which directly contradicted religion beliefs?"
Cardinal Faulhaber said, "I have the higest regard for the competence of mathematicians. I am SURE they would not rest until they discovered their MISTAKE!"

Let's take a close look at the Scripture (Galatians 2:20) above and see that being saved requires making:
A PERSONAL DECISION,
A LIFE-RECEIVING DECISION,
and
A GROWING DECISION.

I. PERSONAL DECISION

  1. "I am crucified..." -- "I" must make that decision.

  2. One cannot ride into heaven on the coattails of Mom & Dad.

  3. MORE -- One cannot ride into heaven on a "social gospel."
    A social gospel is where you define God in terms you like.
    The only real revelation of God is in the BIBLE!

  4. Every person must make a PERSONAL DECISION.

II. LIFE-RECEIVING DECISION

  1. "..nevertheless I LIVE; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.."

  2. I didn't know what living WAS until I surrendered to Christ.
    A fella joined our church by letter.
    Several months later, he came down the aisle.
    He told me he wanted to make a profession of faith and be baptized.
    He said he'd never DIED TO SELF!
    Then, weeks later, he told me, "I didn't know what LIVING was until I SURRENDERED to Christ!"

III. GROWING DECISION

  1. "..and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the FAITH of the Son of God.."

  2. When you truly SURRENDER to Jesus and die to self, He gives you FAITH! (Ephesians 2:8-9)
    Faith is the dynamic power of God's Holy Spirit INDWELLING your spirit.
    He enables you to pray and study and tell others.
    He empowers you to live for Christ in a world of sin!

CONCLUSION:

One of the greatest problems of the church today is that it is filled with people who are so far removed from the TRUTH of salvation that they focus upon "what's in it for ME!" They are not focused upon what's in it for GOD'S GLORY!

The church, being the "body of Christ" in the world, is not a social club where we come to have leisure, pleasure and self-gratification! It is the people of GOD, gathered to praise and worship Him, and then to go out an preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

When "I" am crucified with Christ, it is THEN I receive LIFE -- Jesus' abundant joy that only HE can give! (John 10:10)

INVITATION:

Do YOU have LIFE? Are YOU crucified with Christ? Have you truly died to SELF, and surrendered to become what JESUS wants?

OH! The JOY of knowing that I am His, and He is mine, and we shall be together for ETERNITY!

((READ Romans 8:1-11, emphasis on verse 11))

PRAYER