Do you remember the day you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? What a wonderful day in your life that moment was. You realized that you were a sinner and were separated from God. You, also, realized that the only way to have your sins forgiven was to accept Christ’s death on the cross for your sins.
Soon after becoming a Christian, you found there was a difference between Christ being crucified on the cross for your sins, and you living a crucified life. “There is a great difference between realizing, ‘on that cross He was crucified for me,’ and “On that cross I was crucified with Him.’ The one aspect brings us deliverance from sin’s condemnation, the other from sin’s power” (John Gregory Mantle). Both are important. In fact, both are essential to having Christ as your Lord and Savior. Christ being crucified on the cross for your sins is what Scripture says is accepting Him as your Savior. With you being crucified with Him, brings about Christ as Lord; you no longer do what you want, but you do what pleases Christ.
A familiar verse stresses the importance of Christ as Lord of your life. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20, NKJV). This verse is so familiar to you, that you will lose the profound truth taught here, if you are not careful. You no longer live your life doing the things that you want to do. You surrender your life and desires to Christ. Yes, you will have thoughts about what to do or how to handle life’s situations. But you choose to live according to the Scriptures.
As a Christian, you desire to live the crucified life. Ask Christ to lead you to be obedient to His will for your life.
