I No Longer Live

Galatians 2:11-13 (MSG)

11-13 Later, when Peter came to Antioch, I had a face-to-face confrontation with him because he was clearly out of line. Here’s the situation. Earlier, before certain persons had come from James, Peter regularly ate with the non-Jews. But when that conservative group came from Jerusalem, he cautiously pulled back and put as much distance as he could manage between himself and his non-Jewish friends. That’s how fearful he was of the conservative Jewish clique that’s been pushing the old system of circumcision. Unfortunately, the rest of the Jews in the Antioch church joined in that hypocrisy so that even Barnabas was swept along in the charade.

Galatians 2:16, 19 (MSG)

15-16 We Jews know that we have no advantage of birth over “non-Jewish sinners.” We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it—and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen! Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good. 19 What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. 

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

The more you die the more you live.

  

Matthew 16:21-25 (ESV)

21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 

22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 

23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 

25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

How do we keep from going back to our old way of living?

How to live the Crucified Life.

Romans 7:6-7 (ESV)

6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.  What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

1.  We must crucified self interests.

We want God to change situations.  God wants to change us.

1 Corinthians 15:31 B (ESV)

31  I die every day! 

  

Christianity is the day you decide that you want to live your life for God. 

John 3:30 (NLT)

30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

We must practice humility. 

2.  We must crucify our flesh with it's passions and desires.

Galatians 5:24  (NLT)

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

Joshua 24:15  (NLT)

15 ... choose today whom you will serve...But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

Make a decision to surrender to Christ.  Don't follow feelings.  Make a decision, so feeling will follow.

3.  Crucify your desire for the world.

Galatians 6:14  (NLT)

14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. 

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 (NLT)

17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
    and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
    and I will welcome you.
18 And I will be your Father,
    and you will be my sons and daughters,
    says the Lord Almighty.

Separate yourself from ungodly friends.  Your friends determine your future.  You can decide how much of the world you are going to have in your life.  Create a world filter for yourself.

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/living-the-crucified-life