Omanghana
The phrase “crucified with Christ” is a central Christian teaching that describes a believer’s spiritual union with Jesus in His death and resurrection. It represents the end of an old way of life controlled by sin and the beginning of a new life shaped by faith, obedience and the presence of Christ.
The Apostle Paul explains this transformation in Galatians 2:20, declaring that he has been crucified with Christ and that Christ now lives in him. Paul was not referring to a physical crucifixion but to a spiritual change in identity.
According to this teaching, the believer’s old self—marked by rebellion against God, selfish desires and bondage to sin—was put to death through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. The person remains physically alive, but the controlling authority over that life has changed.
Being crucified with Christ does not mean believers instantly become perfect or stop facing temptation. Rather, it means sin no longer has the right to rule them as it did before they came to faith.
Romans 6:6 explains that the old self was crucified with Christ so that believers would no longer remain enslaved to sin. Christians may still struggle with wrongdoing, but through Christ they receive the power to resist it, repent when they fall and pursue a life that honors God.
This spiritual crucifixion is not only about death to the old nature. It also points to a new beginning. Just as Jesus rose from the dead, believers are called to walk in newness of life.
Paul states that the life he continues to live in the body is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved him and gave Himself for him. The believer’s identity is therefore no longer determined primarily by past failures, sinful habits or worldly desires, but by a relationship with Jesus Christ.
In practical terms, being crucified with Christ requires daily surrender. It involves laying aside pride, unforgiveness, selfish ambition and desires that conflict with God’s will.
It also means allowing the Holy Spirit to develop the character of Christ in the believer. This should become visible through love, patience, humility, self-control, forgiveness and obedience.
The teaching does not call Christians to destroy their personalities or abandon their responsibilities. Instead, it calls them to submit every part of their lives to God so that their thoughts, decisions and conduct increasingly reflect Jesus.
To be crucified with Christ, therefore, is to accept that the old life no longer holds ultimate authority. It is a continuing journey of dying to sin, living by faith and allowing Christ to be revealed through one’s life.
Source: Omanghana
