Self Crucifixion (12-28-11)

Philippians 3:10 - "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death."

Here in Philippians 3 the apostle Paul expresses the deepest desires of His heart. The first two things are hardly surprising, to know Christ and the power of God that raised Him from the dead, but the last two things are very strange to the human mind. Paul expresses His desire to share in Christ suffering and be conformed to His death. I just stated this verse as four different things, but in reality they're all interconnected. If we really want to know Christ in an intimate way we have to experience His sufferings. If we want see the power that raised Christ from the dead we need to be conformed to His death. The idea of crucifying our flesh is a theme taught throughout much of the New Testament. Paul says in Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." To be crucified with Christ is to completely deny ourselves. There is nothing in the natural man, in the old self nature that can become spiritual. Our old nature is permanently self seeking and contrary to anything spiritual. God doesn't seek to change our old nature but rather He gives us a new nature. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says - "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." At the moment we get saved God gives us a new nature, a spiritual one, but our old nature is still there. And because of this there is a constant battle between the Spirit and the flesh. This is what Paul talks about in Romans 7 and also in Galatians 5. He says in Galatians 5:16-24 - "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." Here again we see very clearly this idea of crucifying the flesh. Our new nature and our old nature are at war with one another. As soon as we came to Christ as our Lord and Savior our flesh was defeated, it was crucified, but we can still give in to it if we choose to. Crucifixion was a slow painful death that sometimes lasted for days. The one who was crucified, even as they were hanging on the tree, could still speak, plead, beg, demand, revile, etc, and our flesh is the same way. It's doomed to be defeated but we can still give in to it's demands, even as it hangs on the cross.
Self crucifixion is a daily decision. Yes, Christ has already conquered all our sins and will one day deliver us from the very presence of them, but in the mean time we must choose daily to crucify ourselves. Jesus said in  Luke 9:23 - "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." Self crucifixion is something we must do every day. Our flesh revels in all of the "selfisms". Self-sufficiency, rather than faith in God. Self-will, instead of submission to God. Self-seeking, instead of honoring God. And self-righteousness, rather than humility before God. These four "selfisms" are the foundation of the worldly nature, and they must be put to death. We must "deny ourselves" like Jesus said. And how do we deny ourselves? He continues "take up your cross daily and follow Me."
Crucifixion is an unnatural death. The flesh, the old man will never die a natural death. It must be crucified daily, and we must consciously choose not to follow our own lusts and our own desires, but rather follow Christ. We must deliberately crucify the things in our lives that keep God at arms length. 
Crucifixion is a criminals death, and that's exactly what our old self is. In our flesh we have broken the law of God, and our old self desires to continue in rebellion against God. Our old self isn't going to die easy. It will plead for consideration, it will reason with you about how certain things in your life aren't really wrong, but there is nothing good in our flesh. It is a breaker of Gods law and must be put to death.
Crucifixion is a painful death. Denying ones self, saying no to what I want can be a very painful thing. We like to indulge in the sins of our minds and the desires of our flesh, and putting those desires on the cross is not easy. They die hard, but we must not relent. As there can be no such thing as a painless crucifixion, so there cannot be the crucifying of the flesh, with it's affections and lusts, apart from pain.

The closer we get to God the more we desire to become like Him and less like ourselves. This is why Paul was able to cry out "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death." He saw that true value and reward only came by daily putting himself to death and sharing in the sufferings of Christ. We simply need to follow Christs example. The Lord Jesus Christ never did anything out of self-will or selfish desires. When He came to this earth He looked after the interests of others in everything, so much so that the death which He died, He died in our place that we wouldn't have to. In response to what He has done for us, we need to deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily and follow Him. Hebrews 12:2 - "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." If our eyes are fixed on Him we won't be focused on us. He endured the cross, let us follow His example.

Matthew 10:38 - "He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."