For those who read this post, it is necessary to understand two facts: first, it is not my goal to offend the reader; and second, it is not my goal NOT to offend the reader. Exclusively and without exception, it is my objective to declare the truths of God’s word. Knowing this, I ask the reader to read the post in its entirety, especially before contacting me regarding its contents.
Today I deal with a common misconception found in many churches. Provided that you have been an attendee of a conservative church for any length of time, you have undoubtedly heard this line before: “We need to crucify our flesh.” Or, perhaps you have heard it this way: “Every day, we need to keep our old man buried.” I have heard this one: “I want to live a crucified life.” Phrases such as these are commonplace in many churches; yet these are NOT biblical phrases. While they sound pious, these expressions often originate from those who of the mindset that the Christian life is hard; that if we make it heaven, we’ll arrive but barely. Those who preach this teaching usually define this phrase, “crucifying our flesh,” to mean “making ourselves miserable; denying ourselves of any pleasure; self-deprivation.” However, when the Bible speaks of believers being “crucified,” or “dead to sin,” the scriptures are dealing with our “old man,” or the individual we used to be prior to obtaining salvation.
Recently, I sent a text message to a friend of mine. Though I do not remember its exact wording, it went something like this: “I will not be crucifying my flesh today.” I went on to explain my reasoning. This friend texted me back, stating why he would be crucifying his flesh that day. Assuming that the reader will be patient with me, I wish to give reasons from the word of God why I will not be crucifying my flesh today. If you are of the mindset that we need to crucify our flesh every day, I hope you will at least give me your attention. While you may not agree with me, I only ask that you will hear me out. To begin, I wish to examine a few passages of scripture often used by this crowd who desires to crucify their flesh daily.
Passages in Galatians
Galatians 2:20 – “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 5:24 – “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
Galatians 6:14 – “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”
I encourage the reader to read the above verses two or three times each. Read them slowly. Read them honestly. Read them without regards to any opinion of your own. If this is done, the reader will be forced to admit that there is a mood of finality to the believer’s crucifixion. Yes, I believe that every believer should be crucified. I believe that my “old man” should be crucified. When I say, “old man,” I am referring to the individual I was before I was converted. The above verses, however, do not teach that I should be crucified; the above verses teach that I am crucified! Look at them again (italics mine, for emphasis):
Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified with Christ.”
Galatians 5:24 – “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts.”
Galatians 6:14 – “…the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”
Yes, I believe that those who are saved should be dead to the world, and dead to sin. But I believe more than that – those who are saved are crucified with Christ. If you are saved, you are dead to sin and the world. Listen to me very carefully. I am not trying to be crucified with Christ – I am crucified with Christ! I am not striving to be dead to sin; I am dead to sin! There is a sense of finality to these verses. Paul did not say, “I am trying to be crucified with Christ”; Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ.” Paul did not say, “They that are Christ’s should strive to crucify the flesh”; he plainly says, “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh.” Paul does not declare, “The world should be crucified unto me”; he says rather, “The world is crucified unto me.” Can’t you see the finality of our crucifixion with Christ? The Christian life is not a daily attempt to crucify the individual you used to be; the Christian life is rather living out a realization that the individual you used to be IS DEAD! I am not trying to do away with the man I used to be; the “old man” is already done away with! He is gone! He has been crucified!
When Was my “Old Man” Crucified?
“If your ‘old man’ has already been crucified,” you may ask, “then WHEN were you crucified?” Let us examine our text again for the answer (again, italics mine, for emphasis):
Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified with Christ.”
The answer is plain as day. Paul plainly states, “I am crucified with Christ.” My “old man” died when Christ died. When Christ was crucified, I was crucified. The man I used to be was executed on a cross on Calvary ’s hill over 2,000 years ago. Once the reader understands this, the fog lifts! What a great joy it was when I finally understood that what I was trying to do daily – i.e. crucify my flesh – was already completely finished 2,000 years ago! When reading the remainder of this post, keep in mind that the Bible plainly teaches that believers have already been crucified, and that crucifixion is with Christ. Don’t forget it – we died when Christ died.
Mortify Your Members!
Colossians 3:5 – “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
Here is yet another verse used by those who wish to crucify their flesh every day. Understanding that the word, “mortify” means “to kill,” we have here a command to kill our members which are upon the earth.
Look carefully at this verse. “Mortify your members,” it declares. Then, the verse defines the members we are to destroy. It is not our flesh that we are to destroy; it is a collection of various sins that we are to destroy. Whatever causes us to be tempted while living in this flesh – destroy it! If it is a temptation to you, get away from it. Listen to me very carefully. If you wish to use Colossians 3:5 to preach that we need to crucify our flesh daily, that’s your business. But if you’re going to do so, you need to back up two verses and do something with Colossians 3:3.
Colossians 3:3 – “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
Before Paul tells us to mortify our members, he just as plainly tells us this – “Ye are dead!” He does not say, “Ye are striving to be dead”; he says, “Ye are dead!” I do not need to destroy my “old man” today; my “old man” was destroyed upon an old, rugged cross.
Mortifying the Deeds of the Body
Romans 8:13 – “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”
Here is another verse used to show that we need to crucify our flesh daily. This verse, however does not teach us to mortify the body, or the flesh; it rather teaches us to mortify the deeds of the body. As we just saw in Colossians, we will be tempted to sin. These sins need to be destroyed! It is not our flesh, or our “old man” that needs to be destroyed, for our “old man” has already been destroyed! In the chapter we are currently discussing, Romans 8, look at what Paul states just three verses prior to our verse of study:
Romans 8:10 – “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
Did you catch that? Three verses before Paul teaches us to mortify the deeds of the body, he states, “If Christ be in you, the body IS DEAD!” When did our “old man” die? When Christ died! Paul teaches this again very plainly! If you are going to use Romans 8:13 to prove that we need to crucify our flesh, then be honest with the word of God and use Romans 8:10 with it – “If Christ be in you, the body IS DEAD!”
I Die Daily
I Corinthians 15:31 – “I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”
Another verse popularly used to promote the daily death of the believer is before us. I hear it said often, “Paul said, ‘I die daily.’” Yes, he did. But Paul is not speaking here of dying out to self, or dying out to sin. This entire chapter, I Corinthians 15, is dealing with the doctrine of the resurrection. Paul is teaching the Corinthians the chief importance of believing that we will one day be resurrected. When Paul says, “I die daily,” he is teaching us that he counts himself as dead every day! He places himself in jeopardy continually for the purpose of propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why does he do so? Because he knows that death is not final! There is a coming resurrection, and Paul will be resurrected. His statement, “I die daily,” refers to his willingness to place his life in jeopardy on a daily basis. You say, “Where did you get that?” I say, “I got it out of the Bible.” If you’ll look at the verse again, reading the surrounding verses with it, you will find that Paul is telling the Corinthians that he jeopardizes his life continually, and he wouldn’t do it if the dead rise not:
I Corinthians 15:30-32 – “And WHY STAND WE IN JEOPARDY every hour? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus
So, to say that Paul’s statement, “I die daily,” is referring to “dying out to sin,” or “dying out to self,” is to take the scripture grossly out of context.
TO BE CONTINUED…
