Scripture References: Galatians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:21
Here is another "Doctrine of Devils" that Satan's ministersare teaching the masses today causing them to speak lies in hypocrisyevery time they confess to be a saved born again child of God. WhatPaul says in the above scripture of Galations 2:20 has been taken outof it's context by Satan's many ministers causing millions to believethe letter of the word instead of seeing and believing the spirit orthe truth of the word. They are teaching the people that when Christdied on the cross, and was buried, and rose again to walk in newness oflife, that they also died with Christ, and was crucified with Christ,and rose again with Christ to walk in newness of life. Are the massesthat believes this today truly walking in newness of life or are theynot still walking and living in the same old sinful life they were bornwith? The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ was only an examplefor us to yet accomplish in our own life. We did not die with Christwhen he died on the cross, because Christ's death on the cross was aliteral and physical death, but our death is a spiritual death, and ourbeing buried with him is a spiritual baptism, and our being raised towalk in newness of life is also our spiritual resurrection from a deadlife of trespasses and sins. Believing you died or was crucified withChrist when he was crucified does not kill or crucify your sinfulnature. To believe you were buried with Christ when he was buried doesnot bury or destroy your sinful life, because your sinful life is nothid with Christ, but is still being manifested through your daily lifethat you live. Listen to what Paul tells us in Colossians 3:3-4 thatsays, "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Sincesin is still being manifested in your life, then your life is not hidand buried with Christ as you think and believe. And further moreChrist is not your life as verse four states.
So the truth of thematter is that we did not die or was crucified with Christ when he wasactually crucified and died on the cross. And we were not buried withChrist when he was actually buried in the tomb. And we were not raisedto walk in newness of life when he was actually raised from the dead tolive again. Just to believe you were crucified with Christ when he diedon the cross does not crucify your sinful nature. To believe you wereburied with him and rose again to walk in newness of life, then why areyou not walking and living in a new life of righteousness instead ofstill living in sin and rebellion against God? You are only manifestingwhat James calls a "dead faith" anddead faith is a faith that is without works and cannot produce a lifeof righteousness. Did not the apostle Paul tell us these words statedin Titus 2:11-12 that says, "For the grace of God that bringethsalvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denyingungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, andgodly, in this present world." Is a life of righteousness andgodliness being manifested in and through your mortal body, as it must?A sinful life is not a righteous and godly life. Paul is not saying inthe above scripture of Galations 2:20 that he was crucified with Christwhen he died on the cross. We are not crucified with Christ on thecross that he died on, but rather we are to be crucified on the crossthat Jesus tells us to take up and follow him. In Matthew 10:38 we findJesus saying these words that says, " And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." Notice that Jesus refers to "our cross"and not the cross that he died and was crucified on. The cross thatChrist was crucified and died on is an example for us, meaning that wetoo must be crucified and die on a cross, but our cross represents thedeath of our old sinful man. Paul tells us these words in Romans 6:3-6saying, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Thereforewe are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ wasraised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we alsoshould walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together inthe likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of hisresurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should notserve sin."
We are baptized into Christ's death meaning that as the body ofChrist died by physical crucifixion, our sinful body must die byspiritual crucifixion, but our crucifixion refers to the death of thecarnal nature of our old man. This "old man" is the "old sinful nature" that must die so that we can become a "new creature" in Christ Jesus as Paul tells us in II Corinthians 5:17 that says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."It is the Spirit that baptizes us into the death of Christ where ourold carnal man is destroyed, and this baptism is certainly not waterbaptism like many believe. This baptism is reference to the baptism ofthe Spirit that Paul refers to in I Corinthians 12:13 that says, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have beenall made to drink into one Spirit." Thisbaptism of the Spirit is accomplished by the Spirit as he leads us intoall truth of Gods revealed word throughout the New Testamentscriptures. Today's Pentecostal organizations teach that this "Baptism of the Holy Ghost" is an emotional experience that will be evidenced by what they call the "speaking in tongues"but this certainly is not the truth of the matter. Many claim thisexperience, but it does nothing toward making a new creature in Christwhere old things (sinful life) has passed away and all things (a newlife in Christ) has become new. We are spiritually raised from our deadin sin state to walk in newness of life. Our old sinful nature must beput to death and we will be raised to become partakers of the divinenature of Christ. The apostle Peter refers to this in what he says inhis epistle of 2 Peter 1:3-4 that says, "According as his divinepower hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life andgodliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to gloryand virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and preciouspromises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." TheHoly Spirit that we receive in obedience to Acts 2:38 will begin tolead us into all revealed truth and it is these many truths thatspiritually cleanses us from all inbred sin of both our flesh andspirit that will in time perfect holiness in the fear of God, as Paulspeaks of in II Corinthians 7:1 that says, "Having therefore thesepromises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthinessof the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Noticethat Paul tells us that this cleansing process of all the filthiness ofsin of both our body and spirit is what we must do. We do this bywalking in and believing and obeying the many truths revealed in thecontents of the gospel or the teachings of Christ. And Paul again tellsus about the same thing in what he said in Romans 12:1-2 that says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that yepresent 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 provewhat is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Millionsof people think and believe they are new creatures in Christ basedmerely on the fact that they accepted Christ as Lord and Savior oftheir life, but listen to them confess yet to be sinners living in sinand rebellion against God.
These deceived people think that to be forgiven of sin is to becleansed of sin as well, but that is a lie of Satan's many ministers.When we truly ask God to forgive us our sins he will, but this does notcleanse us from the inbred sin of both our body and spirit. This is whymost confessing Christians still live in sin daily even as they confessto be saved or born again. God does not cleanse forgiven sin; heforgives and forgets them. But to be cleansed from sin is an entirelydifferent operation. Most of confessing Christians still sin simplybecause they are not walking in the light of truth that will cleansethem from the sin that yet indwells both their flesh and spirit. WhenChrist is truly received into the heart the heart is purified by faithas Acts 15:8-9 states saying, "And God, which knoweth the hearts,bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts byfaith." This purifying of the heart did not touch norremove the sin that yet indwells both the flesh and spirit. This is whyPaul tells us these words stated in Romans 12:1-2 saying, "I beseechyou therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present yourbodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is yourreasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be yetransformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what isthat good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." And Paul again tells his Corinthian converts the same thing as stated in 2 Corinthians 7:1 that says, "Havingtherefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves fromall filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fearof God." Notice that Paul says "let us" cleanse ourselvesfrom all filthiness of both the flesh and spirit. We do this as we walkin the light of the many truths of the gospel of Christ. Believing youwere crucified with Christ when he died on the cross did not crucifythe old man, which is your sinful nature, and believing you were buriedwith him when he was put into the tomb did not cleanse the inbred sinof both your body and spirit. And believing you were raised with him towalk in newness of life when he was raised from the dead after threedays did not raise you from your dead in sin state to walk in a newlife. Paul tells us these words in Ephesians 2:1 saying, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." Thisquickening from a dead in sin state takes place when the Spirit ofChrist comes into your heart. The coming in of the Spirit of Christpurifies the heart, which is only one section of our total being thatconsists of three, which is our body, our soul, and our spirit. Thecleansing of our flesh and spirit is our reasonable service to do andwe do this by walking in the cleansing and creating power of Gods holyword revealed in the teachings of Christ, which is the gospel ofChrist. This is why Paul tells us these words stated in Romans 1:16-17that says, "ForI am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of Godunto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and alsoto the Greek.. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed fromfaith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." Believingthe teachings of Christ revealed to us by the Spirit baptizes us dailyinto Christ where we in time become totally new creatures in him, as 2Corinthians 5:17 states. This is a daily work as Paul reveals in whathe said in 2 Corinthians 4:16 that says, "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." So your believing you were crucified, and was buried and rose with Christ when hedied on the cross and rose again is believing a lie that will sear the conscience and cause you to speak lies in hypocrisy...."He that has an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches"...amen