Gal 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.

What does it mean to be crucified with Christ? Obviously, it does not mean a literal crucifixion on the cross with Christ. So, what does it mean? To be crucified implies a death. When one is crucified, he died. Paul said he died. Well, he didn’t die physically. What are the things he died to? I submit to you he died to these things (and so must we): 1. He died to the Law of Moses. He said: “For I through the law am dead to the law” (v.19a). Paul was before this an ardent persecutor of Christians. He held the Law of Moses with the highest esteem. He thought the gospel of Christ was heresy. But all that changed when he found Christ. He realised the Law could not give him life; only faith in Christ could. Now, to him, the Law is dead. 2. He died to the rudiments of this world (Colossians 2:20). The word “rudiments” means elements. What are the elements of this world. John answers: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). When one is dead to the elements of this world, those things have no more power or affecting influence on him. A dead man is insensible to the things around him. Paul is dead to the world; he is no longer worldly. And, so must we. 3. He died to sin (Romans 6:2).What does it mean to die to sin? Paul answers: “For sin shall not have dominion over you” (Romans 6:14a). Sin is no longer his master. Paul now serves Christ and not sin. To serve sin is to indulge in all the sinful works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). To serve Christ is to be like Christ in His holiness: “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). 4. He died to self. He says: “It is no longer I who live,” (v.20, ESV). He no longer lives to please himself; he lives to please Christ: “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” (v.20b). We see that a crucified life is a changed life. Being crucified with Christ means that we are new creations: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old life is dead and gone. The crucified life is one where we die to the old life and live as a new person (Romans 6:4). Christ says it is a rebirth (John 3:3, 5). Paul calls it a transformation: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). The word “transformed” is Greek “metamorphoō”. From “metamorphoō” we have this English word metamorphosis. Metamorphosis involves a complete change. A caterpillar becoming a butterfly is a metamorphosis; it has changed into another form. A Christian who is crucified with Christ undergoes a metamorphosis. He is a new person. The apostle Peter commended the Christians he wrote to on their change. He wrote: “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you” (1 Peter 4:4). Before their conversion, they were walking in “lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries” (1 Peter 4:3). Those they used to party with were surprised at their change. They had crucified all that to the cross. Are we living the crucified life? To live the crucified life means to deny ourselves. It is no longer a self-centred life, but a Christ-centred one. Let us die to self and live for Christ.