Living a Life of Crucifixion and Resurrection

Living a Life of Crucifixion and Resurrection

It is through the death and resurrection of Jesus that we are justified by faith and not by works (Galatians 2:6). He took our sins in his body on the cross and suffered the wrath of God for them (1 Peter 2:24). He died and was buried with them, and he arose the third day without them. When we receive his death and resurrection for our sins through faith in Jesus, we are before God as though we have never sinned and have obeyed all the commandments of God perfectly: his righteousness (Romans 4:1-12), peace (John 14:27), and joy (John 15:11).

John summarizes the death and resurrection of Jesus for our justification and his life for our sanctification. “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment” (1 John 3:23-24 NKJV).

Before we are justified by faith, we are fleshly minded which is death (Romans 8:6). When we are justified by faith, Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5). We are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit (Romans 8:9). Being in the Spirit is living in the kingdom of God: righteousness, peace, and joy (Romans 14:17). Notice the similarities between being justified by faith and living in the kingdom of God. Both are righteousness, peace, and joy.

As soon as we are baptized with the Holy Spirit, God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ send the Holy Spirit to dwell in us (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit pours God’s love into our heart (Romans 5:5) empowering us to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind: the first great commandment (Matthew 22:37-38).

To love God is to obey his commandments (John 14:15; 1John 2:1-6, and 1 John 5:3). His commandments are to love the neighbor: help the neighbor, don’t harm him, pray for him, and bless him even when he is our enemy (Matthew 5:4). That is the second great commandment (Matthew 22:39-40). Obeying the two great commandments fulfills all the law and the prophets (Romans 5:13-14).

Moses gave the people living under the old covenant ten commandments which were summarized in the two great commandments. Jesus gave those who are justified by faith under the new covenant a new commandment. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34).

The second great commandment require the people to love their neighbor as themselves. The new commandment requires the justified to love one another as Jesus loved them. To love another person is to help them and not harm them. We cannot obey the new commandment without the love of God being poured into our heart by the Holy Spirit.

Paul tells us how he was able to obey the new commandment. “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.” (Galatians 2:20 NKJV).

Paul died daily (1 Corinthians 15:31). He was crucified with Christ giving his Lord Jesus Christ complete control of his life. Every day began with him being filled with the Holy Spirit who imparted to him the character of Jesus: the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and the gifts of grace which the Holy Spirit gave to him were the power of Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:7-10, 28; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Peter 10-12). Through the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit, Paul was able to obey the new commandment.

In Acts 4:23-31, we are told how the disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit after the day of Pentecost. As they were praying in one accord, they called God “Lord” in vs 24. The word translated Lord is “despota.” In vs 29, they call themselves “servants.” The word translated “servants” is “doulois.” And in 1Timothy 6:1, the word translated servant is the Greek word “doulois,” and the word translated master is “despotas.” The “doulois” had no rights. They did what the “despotas” told them to do. 

The disciples were so thankful for what their Lord Jesus Christ had done for them through his death and resurrection that their heart’s desired was to give back to him their new life that he may live his life through them. When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit (vs 31)

Being filled with the Holy Spirit was a daily commitment for Paul to obey the commandment of his Lord Jesus Christ: lose his life that he may find it. “For anyone who keeps his life for himself shall lose it; and anyone who loses his life for me shall find it again. What profit is there if you gain the whole world—and lose eternal life? What can be compared with the value of eternal life? (Matthew 16:25-26 TLB). Experiencing crucifixion and resurrection daily. is experiencing righteous, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit which is eternal life in the kingdom of God.

Robert P. Holland