Willis Park in Bainbridge, GA
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20, NIV)
Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh and its passions. (Gal. 5:24, NIV)
Are We Living a Crucified Life?
Let’s be REAL…shall we? So often I hear folks talking about living a crucified life…and that’s a good thing. However, I am convinced that many of us do not know what that truly means?
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. (Gal. 5:19-21, NIV)
Whoa! And if that’s not plain enough, check out The Message version of the same passage:
It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.
If that does not capture our attention, the Apostle Paul’s warning should: ”Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God,” (v. 21)
Double whoa!
How do we Attain a Crucified Life?
Christians, therefore, must live according to the Spirit of God, not according to our flesh or passions, if we wish to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matt. 25:21, NIV)
How then do we know if we are walking in the Spirit? Well, we should see some evidence that the Spirit is operating in our lives. And in case we need it, Galatians 5:22-23 gives us a specific list to look for and cultivate:
The fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). (AMP)
Now, just as natural fruit in a natural orchard takes time to develop and grow, so will spiritual fruit in the lives of believers. However, I believe that too many of us who call ourselves Christians are not judging our flesh as we should.
Neither are we spending the time and energy necessary to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. In order to do so, we must study the Bible, God’s instruction manual. When we do, the Holy Spirit will reveal God’s plan for us and will help us make the changes necessary in our lives in order to be successful in following after God. We must also spend time in prayer, consistently conversing with the Lord on a daily basis. When we do, the Holy Spirit will reveal the Father’s heart toward us but will also reveal/lay open our hearts, warts and all, to us. The time we spend with Him (through His Word and in prayer) will cultivate the lasting fruit, the good fruit, we desire.
When it gets tough in the middle of the growing season, when I would like to give into my flesh and forget about the fruit that is being cultivated in me, I like to remind myself of this one thing: just as tourists will go to visit the local apple orchard at harvest time, so I want tourists (those who do not live in the Kingdom yet) to visit my orchard and find fruit worth taking home. I want them to get a taste of something so sweet that they will want to meet and begin a long-term working relationship with the Master Gardener!!
Take a moment. Take stock of your life, right now. Are you living a crucified life? Are you cultivating the fruit of the Spirit? Or are you allowing your flesh and your passions to control you and your decisions?
I challenge you…don’t walk away before making the necessary adjustments. Living the crucified life takes work, hard work…but it is well worth it in the end.
Stephanie A. Pack
Facebook: Faith to Faith International
