Mar 1 Three Deaths.

Mar 1

Three Deaths

Ga 6:14 … the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Recently while doing a study in Galatians I was reading an old (1960) book on Galatians by M. R. DeHaan. He was the founder of the Radio Bible Class that issues “Our Daily Bread”.  His outline of our verse today was wonderful and is the basis for our thinking today.

First we need to read the entire verse.

Ga 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 

Our verse starts with the word “but”, which suggests a contrast with what has gone one before.  Back in verse 12 we find the first part of the contrast.

Ga 6:12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh,

they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they

should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.

The false teachers who were confusing many of the saints in the churches of Galatia were not promoting Jewish laws for the benefit of the members. They were trying to get enough Jewish practices into the local churches so they could avoid persecution.  They did not want to be a part of a church that taught Christ alone could save. Their Jewish friends would have been harshly critical. But if some Jewish practices were added to the Christian church the false teachers would not have to make a choice. They could have church and the world they lived in. They did not want a church that majored on the Cross of Christ.  Their Jewish friends would have been offended at their “blasphemy” and their Greek friends would have ridiculed them for such foolish thinking.

1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

In verse 13 Paul reminds the Galatians that the false teachers are asking them to do something which the false teachers cannot do.

Ga 6:13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised

keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised,

that they may glory in your flesh.

The primary reason for their false teachings is to glory in how many they can convert to their way of thinking.

       “Did you hear that Hippo Smithopolis got circumcised? Yep, he is the 57^th one I have talked into doing that.”

That is why the word but starts verse 14.  The false teachers wanted to be friends with both the church and the world but Paul had a different way of thinking.

DeHaan’s outline of verse 14 presents it well. There he finds three crucifixions.

1.    The crucifixion of Christ  -  the basis

2.    The crucifixion of the world  -  the result

     3.    The crucifixion of self  -  the victory.

Because of what Christ did on Calvary Christians should be

Dead to the law

Dead to the world

Dead to self.

But, alas, many who name the name of Christ (Christians) are dead to the law and alive unto the world and self.  Brethren, these things out not to be!  In Corinthians Paul says he must “die daily”. That is what is required. Death to the world and self is not a once for all event, but a daily practice.  The verse in Galatians 2:20 is a favorite of many “I am crucified with Christ…”  Here a few chapters later Paul expands on what being Crucified with Christ means. Dead to the law (works) dead to the world (not conformed) and dead to self (Holy Spirit led)  

Somewhere I heard a great definition of the crucified man.  He is only looking in one direction. He won’t be returning to what he was doing. And lastly he won’t be doing what he had planned to do.

May God bless you today as you meditate on this portion of scripture. 

Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,

and continueth therein,

he being not a forgetful hearer,

but a doer of the work,

this man shall be blessed in his deed.