Resources/Articles
Crucify the Body of Sin
...that our old man was crucified with Him,
that the body of sin might be done away...
Romans 6:6
Repeated images have been forwarded or copied and pasted into people’s social media pages about ISIS’ cruel murder of humans. Although this intimidates us and produces fear, how does the pronouncement of the “old man crucified” in Romans 6:6 filter through our hearts? The same is taught and commanded in Galatians 2:20; 5:24.
What we are commanded to crucify are all the works, desires, and passions of the flesh. Avoid and oppose them. Abhor and reject them. Kill them. Destroy them. Crucify them. Put them to death. The sentence is implied with our decision to follow the Lord. Galatians 5:24 says, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” It is an expectation from God for HIs children to execute this death process.
The reason for this “planned execution” is understandable. When the decision is made to be saved, who wants to hold on to sinful thoughts and actions which have ruined their life? When someone has all the past removed by the blood of Christ, who wants to be refreshed with their guilt? When life has transformed from disappointment to joy in the Lord, who desires to cuddle up with the hurt and pain of their sin? This is why such a radical measure of crucifying needs to be done for the one saved in baptism by the blood of Jesus Christ.
It should be the sincere care and effort of all Christians to not only put to death the flesh but live unto Christ. Conforming to His desires is further crucifixion of the body of sin. The ruling of our bodies now comes from the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-24). When the Spirit of God speaks, we listen and obey. We are now employed as servants of “obedience unto righteousness” (Romans 6:16). We will still be tempted to go back to those former affections and lusts, but as long as we have the mind of Christ and walk after the Spirit, we will not fulfill those lusts (Romans 6:12).
Here is one motivation to help you: If we do not crucify the flesh, it will crucify us. Listen to Matthew 5:29-30: “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Hear Hebrews 10:26: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.”
Now will you take this spiritual execution more seriously, as brutal and cruel as it may be? What is at stake is eternal life!
