The Apostle Paul knew he was crucified with Christ. He knew this had taken place for him (when he was born again and baptized into the body of Christ-ref. I Cor. 12:13), as it did for all of us who were born again, at the moment of our salvation. He also knew that he had died to sin, died to the law and had crucified the flesh (died to the flesh) at the moment of salvation. He knew that reckoning it so was key to his thought life or mindset and to rely on what had already been attained for him by the work of the cross (Christ's sufferings). By reckoning this so-daily-(Paul said, I die daily) he was being made conformable unto Christ's death in his mind (thought life); he was conforming his thought life to the truth of what took place when he was crucified with Christ.
Please join me in this study as we delve into God's word.
9 and may be found in Him [believing and relying on Him], not having any righteousness of my own derived from [my obedience to] the Law and its rituals, but [possessing] that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 And this, so that I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying as He did]; " Phil. 3:9-10 AMP
"For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 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. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Gal. 2:19-21 KJV
Righteousness simply means right-standing with God, and to be righteous is to be in right relationship with God.The Old Covenant Hebrews believed that to be in right relationship or right-standing with God they had to keep all of the law. The law God gave through Moses found in Deuteronomy stated, "And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us." Deut. 6:25
In Leviticus, it says, "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord." Lev. 18:5 KJV
But, the Old Covenant Hebrews, or Israelites, were wrong in their belief that they could keep all the law and therefore maintain their righteousness. Fortunately, God also gave them the Levitical priesthood and a system of sacrifices, which brought a measure of mercy to their lives. The animal sacrifices done in faith under the Old Covenant were a covering for sin, but they foreshadowed or looked forward, to the day when Christ would shed His blood on the cross; Jesus being the completely sufficient sacrifice for sin. So now, those who by faith appropriate the proper covering; Christ's shed blood, are acceptable before God, found completely justified and righteous (see Rom. 5:16-17). Christ's blood is not only a covering, but it completely washes us clean; whereas the animal sacrifices done in faith, had to be repeated again and again, and offered only a temporal covering for sin. Once again, as Paul states, "And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:" Phil. 3:9 KJV
We are to recognize that as born-again New Covenant believers, we have received an imputed righteousness (right-standing with God) the moment we became born-again. Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness. (ref. Rom. 4:11, 24-25 NIV) This is all made possible because of Jesus' perfect obedience. (ref. Rom.5:16-19, 10:4) The Old Covenant Israelites agreement to keep the law, and their relationship with God was a conditional agreement or covenant.
As found in the book of Exodus (19:7-8) "And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord has spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord." KJV This was a self-righteous statement or a statement of pride and we find in the very next chapter, God gave them the law. Now upon knowing this, many ask, Why did God give the law to the ancient Israelites if he knew they couldn't keep it?
The Apostle Paul explains in his epistle to the Galatians, "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (3:22-27)
The law acted as a schoolmaster and directed us toward Christ. It did this by creating or being such a high standard (it demanded perfection). This is a standard that God's holiness required to be accepted or in right-standing with God and found righteous, if one wished or believed he could meet it by his own merit or effort. Right-standing and relationship with God, indeed their very spiritual life for the Israelite, under the Old Covenant, was contingent upon this conditional agreement they entered into with God. This high standard (indeed impossible standard) was meant to drive one to despair (lose any hope of keeping it) and thus see their need for a Savior.
The Apostle Paul also explained in the 3rd chapter of Romans that the law was given for yet another reason. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." (3:19 KJV)
Once again, the standard of the law is perfection (by your own merit or human effort) if you want to try and keep it apart from faith in Christ. Just look at the Ten Commandments and realize the only man or person who has ever walked the earth and kept them all is Jesus. Jesus is fully man and fully God. So all humanity would need a Savior. That's why in Galatians, it states, "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Gal. 4:4-6 KJV)
Now you might be saying, that 's all fine, but I'm not an Old Testament Hebrew or Israelite, born under the law. Well, think about this, you have standards you live by, and place on others and others place on you, that if not met, judgment comes. That's all a law system can do is judge and condemn. Now we do need societal laws and order (structure) in our households, etc. or society wouldn't function properly. But make no mistake about it, the world operates in large part under a law system which is conditional-opposite of the unconditional love of God.
Scripture tells us, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him!" Rom. 5:6-9 NIV
So, once again, the ancient Hebrews were given the law because of their prideful attitude and fallen mankind today is under the law for the same reason. We find in the gospels, whenever someone would come to Jesus and ask "What must I do to be saved?" thinking they could merit their own salvation, Jesus would give them the law. But, if someone came to Jesus and knew that by their own merit they were unworthy of salvation, but looked to Jesus, they found grace. (ref. Luke 18:18-25, 19:1-10, I Pet. 5:5-6, Jam. 4:6)
So now, with all this said, we go back to the opening scripture reference, in which Paul said, "and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;" Phil. 3:9-10 KJV Paul concluded Phil 3:10 by saying "being made conformable unto His death." Is this something we must do? And if so, how do we do it?
The Apostle Paul states, "We died to sin: how can we live in it any longer?" Rom. 6:2b NIV (Once you were dead in sin, dead in Adam [spiritually dead]. Now, as a born-again Christian, you are alive in righteousness, alive in Christ, and spiritually alive. (ref. Eph. 2:1) Therefore, it's impossible to be dead in sin and alive in Christ at the same time.
Now let me ask you. How many of you remember dying? You did when you became born-again. You died to your old self, the flesh, and you became spiritually born-again. Now let me ask you...Can a dead man sin? Can a dead man have guilt? So now, we are dead to sin and alive to God. You are dead indeed to what? Sin. Are you worried about your sin problem? You shouldn't be. It's been done away with. The Apostle Paul said, If you have the Spirit, you're not under the law, because you don't need the law if you've already been made righteous, so we don't need a law system to make ourselves righteous. This is what happened to us when we became born-again. My spirit man, the real me, has been made righteous.
Paul's epistle to the Colossians explains it this way...
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Col. 2:11-14 KJV Verse 12 of Colossians 2 gives the proper order; we were first buried with him, then raised with him, through faith of the operation of God. This is why the Apostle Paul says, "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.
That's the power of the gospel. I'm not who I used to be and neither are you, if you're born-again. You have a new identity. We are now worthy because of what Christ has done. This is all made possible because of the New Covenant... an unconditional covenant.
The Apostle Paul said this about the power of the gospel; 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, "The just and upright shall live by faith." Rom. 1:16-17 AMP
The Expanded Version states it this way: 16 [For] I am not ashamed of the Good News [Gospel], because it is the power God uses to save everyone who believes--to save the Jews first, and then to save Gentiles [the Greeks; here meaning anyone who is not Jewish; contrast v.14] 17 The Good News [Gospel] shows how God makes people right with himself [or God's righteous character; the righteousness of/from God] that it begins and ends with faith [or that advances from one believing person to the next; or that begins with God's faithfulness and results in people's faith; from faith to faith]. As the scripture says, "But those who are right with God will live by faith [or those made righteous through faith will live (eternally)] Rom. 1:16-17
God said, "10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." Heb. 8:10-12 KJV
This is God's work of restoration spoken of by the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians: 18 But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him].
19 It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor)." II Cor. 5:18-19 AMPC
Jesus also said in Mark's gospel, "the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (1:15, KJV)
In the last chapter of Luke's gospel, Jesus (being risen from the dead) said to His disciples, "..that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke 24:47
The definition of the word 'remission' goes as follows: 1. the act of remitting, or the state of being remitted. 2. pardon, as of sins or a crime. 3. release from a debt, penalty, or obligation.
Repentance simply means to turn and go in the other direction. I like to put it this way; remember, before you were born again, you were on a fast track heading down the highway of life. You were trying to earn your way to heaven by your effort and performance. Then you heard the truth of the gospel, the message that said it wasn't your performance, but what Christ did on the cross that offered you His unconditional pardon, and you accepted His offer. He took your sin and gave you His righteousness. You accepted His sacrificial atonement. You repented, which means you changed the direction of your thinking; you went in the other direction. Now, you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, all because of Jesus.
Before you were born-again, you, in effect, were saying you could gain a righteousness on your own, with your own effort and performance. Then you heard the gospel of grace and you learned of a righteousness apart from works, all because of what Jesus did. You changed direction in your thinking and put your faith in God and not in yourself. This was true repentance and you received an imputed righteousness, which is the righteousness of God; a free gift. This is what happened to you, if you became a born-again Christian.
Now, why is it so important to know and remember that we have (past tense), the moment we became born-again, died to sin, died to the law and crucified the flesh? (ref. Gal. 5:24, Rom. 6:6,11, 7:4-6, II Pet. 1:9, I Cor. 12:13) As stated in Galatians, "and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." (5:24) (ref. I Cor. 6:11)
The Apostle Paul writes in the book of Romans, "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." (7:5 KJV) But, once again, we died to sin and we died to the law. The Apostle Paul also said, "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;" Rom. 7:4a And he (Paul) also said, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you." Rom. 8:9a KJV That's us as born-again believers!
So, once again, why is it important to know and remember that we have (past tense, the moment we became born-again) died to sin, died to the law and crucified the flesh? Well, as the Apostle Peter states in his second epistle, "But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was (past tense) purged of his old sins. II Pet. 1:9 KJV And as found in Hebrews, "For then would they not have ceased to be offered? (this speaks of sacrifices for sins) Because that the worshipers once purged should have no more conscience of sins." Heb. 12:2 KJV
God tells us through Paul's message to the Romans that "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." (3:20 NIV) With the Israelites, under the Old Covenant of law, if they did good...they got good. If they did bad...they got bad. Scripture tells us that through the law we become conscious of sin. The word 'conscious' means: con [with] - science [knowledge]. So, these people living under the law were knowledgeable about their sin. It could be said, they were sin-conscious and with that came the fear of punishment. (ref. Heb. 2:15) This mentality affected the Hebrew people in the wilderness. It affected them once they crossed over into the Promised Land, and it affects people today, if they allow themselves to be put under the law.
So, we should focus or remember that we have (past tense) died and have been planted together in the likeness of his death, and we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. (ref. Rom. 6:5) Now don't dig yourself up in your thinking. We are secure in our salvation because it is a righteousness apart from the law (human effort or performance). This is why the Apostle Paul said I die daily. (ref. I Cor. 15:31) He (Paul) would not allow himself to dig himself up in his thinking. He knew he was crucified with Christ and reckoned it so. We don't want to be like a farmer who had planted seed and in his impatience runs out and digs up the seed, thinking it is not doing anything. Patiently rest in your God-given righteousness, looking at the work of the cross and not yourself-or your behavior. If you think this way, eventually your behavior will line up with your thinking, which is putting the horse before the cart, instead of putting the cart before the horse.
The Apostle Paul wrote in the book of Romans, "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." (8:24-25 KJV) For as Paul wrote in Galatians, "For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." (5:5 KJV)
The Apostle Paul knew that once, before he was born again, he was dead in the flesh and not alive in the Spirit. As Paul wrote in Ephesians, "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (2:3 KJV) It's worth reading this passage in the NIV version also. "All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath." (continue reading Eph. 2:4-9 on your own.)
But, the Apostle Paul received the unconditional love of God, (ref. Rom 5:8) and knew what the Apostle John meant when he wrote, "There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God's judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God's love]. I John 4:18 AMP The Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." I Thes. 5:9 KJV James writes in his epistle, "For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." (1:20 KJV)
Now all this brings a proper understanding to the first chapter of John's first epistle. (ref. I John 1:7-10) When you came to Christ, you confessed you were a sinner in need of a Savior. (Once again, if someone is prideful and thinks he can save himself by his own merit, or believes that they are without sin-why would they need a Savior?) But we (who are born-again) did confess that we were sinners, in need of a Savior. And God who is faithful and just, forgave us ALL our sin. He is faithful because it is His nature and character and he was just to forgive us our sins because the wrath that was against mankind's sin was placed squarely and entirely on Jesus at the cross. It was exhausted on Him, as He bore our penalty and punishment. As born-again believers, He has cleansed us from ALL unrighteousness, as he took our sin and gave us His (imputed) righteousness. (ref. Rom. 3:26, 4:24, I Cor. 6:11)
Now, we can boldly do as instructed in Romans 6:13, "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." KJV (For we are not unrighteous, but righteous). This is what the Apostle Paul meant, in large part, when he wrote in Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." KJV
Now, the only way we can yield our members as instruments of righteousness and present our bodies a living sacrifice is by knowing that as born-again believers, we too, have been crucified with Christ, and have died to sin, for as the Apostle Peter wrote, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." You have to know you died to sin, by dying to the law and to the flesh, to live unto righteousness. The Apostle John reminded us, "I write unto you little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake." I John 2:12 KJV
"And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Eph. 4:32
Col. 3:13 says, "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."
This is why the Apostle Paul could say, 'I'm crucified with Christ, but yet I live.'
When he was crucified with Christ, he died to sin, he died to the law, and he died to the flesh--all at the moment he was born-again and baptized into the body of Christ.
This is why it's important to understand that at the new birth, we are baptized into Christ's body; water baptism is symbolic of what took place at the new birth. (Heb. 6:2 refers to plural baptisms) Our death to sin, the law and our flesh all took place at the new birth.
As Paul penned in the book of Romans, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth." (10:3-4 KJV)
I leave you with these scriptures for further thought and meditation.
Luke 15:7 NIV
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Matthew 9:13 KJV
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Mark 2:17 KJV
17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
I Timothy 1:9 KJV
9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
Hebrews 7:12 KJV
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
I Cor. 15:56 KJV
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
Galatians 3:12 KJV
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
*This blog post can be purchased in a 30 page booklet form (quantity of your choice) by sending me a message. Let me know how many copies you would like to purchase. $2.00 ea.
