A Well-Deserved Death
Want to know if you're actually a Christian or not? Use this verse as a reference.
Paul didn't just say the flesh is dead; he said it is crucified. He was specific - Don't miss that. The cross was much more than a form of capital punishment. It was also a torture device. People hung on to life for days, often still alive when the birds began to peck at their flesh. Does that have spiritual implication here? Have you ever tried to kick a bad habit? It's painful. Especially if the vice brought about good feelings. In some instances, it is absolute torture to overcome it. Yet, if we don't crucify these desires, they will continue to rule over us.
The cross was also a warning. Travelers in Jesus' day would see crosses at the entrance to cities - with the dying and the dead and the decaying still nailed to them. The statement was this: Don't break the law, because you will hang here, too.
What's the spiritual angle of this? Your changed life is a public spectacle. It should be obvious to anyone who looks at your life that you are different - the passions and desires that rule their life are violently absent in yours.
So... in that respect, looking at your life from the viewpoint of the crucified life - it is a viable question to ask, do you truly belong to Christ?
Created over 1 year ago
