As servants of Jesus Christ, we are identified with Him in His crucifixion, in His death, and in His resurrection. Let us consider these three elements of His ministry in the order mentioned herein.

1) His Crucifixion

Paul declared, in Galatians 2:20, that “I am crucified with Christ.” He also wrote: “the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world.” (Gal. 6:14) What did Paul mean by these statements? The crucifixion Paul is writing about is the impaling of oneself to the cross of self-denial, which means we refuse to permit our “flesh” to express itself in ways which are sinful. Just as Jesus willingly endured the pain of crucifixion, we also must willingly allow ourselves to be impaled: “But now ye also put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communications out of your mouth; lie not one to another, seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds: and have put on the NEW MAN.” (Col.3:8-10) This is not an instantaneous work of grace. Much time, patience and long-suffering are required on our part. We will be opposed by the enemy as we endeavor to accomplish this crucifixion, for Satan and his evil spirits do not want us to be wholly crucified with Jesus. We have authority over evil spirits through the word of God and the blood of Jesus Christ, and we can make a total and complete commitment to Him. The crucifixion of the flesh and the carnal nature are the means by which we become crucified with Jesus.

2) His Death

Death is the result of crucifixion, and is a slow and painful process. It means that every impulse to do wrong is no longer active within us. A dead person can do no wrong!

“For he that is dead is free from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.” (Rom. 6:7-8) We are not saying this is a simple, easy thing to accomplish. Paul stated that he had not apprehended that for which he had been apprehended, and yet he had suffered the loss of all things for the sake of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 3:7,8,13,14)

Yet, it is possible for us to become dead to sin, dead to self and carnality. Jesus, who was our example, was completely dead to His own desires, ideas, wishes and His will. His only desire in life was to do the Father’s will and thus to please Him. As He was dead to self, we also can be and thus be identified with him in His death. His death on the Cross was the proof that He was dead to His own will, for He was lost in the will of His heavenly Father.

3) In His Resurrection

The resurrection of Jesus was physical. The resurrection which identifies us with Him is spiritual: “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” (John 5:25)

“We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren.” (1 John 3:14)

We have all been “dead in trespasses and sin.” (Eph. 2:1) We were sinners without hope and without God, but the Holy Spirit revealed the great love of God to us, and we surrendered our hearts and lives to him. We then passed from death unto life and the Holy Spirit has come to dwell in our hearts. We are now a new creature in Christ Jesus. We now have new appetites for many areas of our life: new reading habits, new pleasures, new hunger to know more about Jesus and His words. We walk in NEWNESS of life. Everything is new and wonderful.

“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” (Romans 6:13)

To be identified with Jesus, then, is to experience crucifixion, death, and resurrection from the dead. This is the will of God for us all.

(Reprinted from Number 366, May 1994 issue of “The Testimony of Truth” with permission from “People of the Living God”)

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