The Crucified Life

[0:00] This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfred, Georgia. It is our prayer that you will be blessed by the preaching of God's Word.

[0:14] Let's open our Bibles to Galatians chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2 and verse 16, if you would. We're going to talk about the crucified life. Let's go ahead and pray now and ask God's working in our midst.

[0:28] Father, we love you, and I thank you for the opportunity to be in your house today, and I pray that you would use this time and bless your name and honor yourself and help your people to be so excited about what a wonderful God you are.

[0:42] Help us to understand what you did on the cross at Calvary a little bit and how to apply it in our lives, and we'll give you praise and honor. God, I ask you to be with Jake Cherry. As in a few days, he'll go in the Air Force.

[0:53] I pray you'd work in his life, and I pray you'd bless his family, and I pray your name and be honored in his life, and I'll give you praise for what you do there. So many other prayer requests for so many of our people this morning that are in need of you and a touch from you, I pray you'd work in their lives, and I'll give you praise for what you do.

[1:08] In Jesus' name, amen. Well, I want to go through Galatians chapter 2 and verse 16 as a way of introduction to you. I am very tempted to spend a long time on this because I want you to know it.

[1:22] So I hope you got your Bible open. If you have your Bible open to Galatians 2.16, preferably a paper Bible where you can really mark it. But anyway, if you do, say amen.

[1:32] All right, so look at Galatians 2.16, and let's just go through this, and I want you to know there's something we know in this verse. You have your Bible open there. Look at Galatians 2.16 and put a circle around the word knowing.

[1:46] You need to circle that. So it's like we know this, knowing this. Knowing that they're going to serve lunch this afternoon, we're going to go home and eat lunch, knowing.

[1:58] In other words, there's some things we just know. You know, today I just wanted all of you to know, knowing we're going to have church this afternoon at 5 o'clock, just so you can watch the Super Bowl.

[2:10] Making a special change today. Amen? Thank you. Betty gives me the card. The rest of you just look at me like I'm crazy. But anyway, knowing.

[2:23] I want you to underline knowing. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law. The Apostle Paul says there's something we know.

[2:33] Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law.

[2:45] Now, what are the works of the law? Works of the law would be doing things that the law commanded. Honor your mama and your daddy. Don't dishonor the name of God. Don't have idols.

[2:56] Don't steal. Don't lie. Don't cheat. Don't kill. Doing all those good things. In this context, it would be getting circumcised. Getting circumcised.

[3:06] Because that's what's going on with the Galatians. And he says, you don't get saved that way. And we all know it. If you know that, say amen. You don't know that because I said it.

[3:17] You don't know that's because of what Baptists believe. You know that because you got a copy of the Word of God in your lap. And you're looking at it. And it says, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law.

[3:28] Then look at the next part. We're made right with God by trusting in Jesus. Look at what it says. But by the faith of Jesus Christ.

[3:39] We know this. That we are not justified by the works of the law. But by the faith of Jesus Christ. So if I said to you, how do you know you're going to go to heaven when you die?

[3:52] Well, I've been baptized. That would be a bad answer. How do you know you're going to go to heaven when you die? I go to church all the time. How do you know you're going to go to heaven when you die? Well, I'm a good man.

[4:03] A good neighbor. Pay my bills. I got a good record. Everybody knows I'm a pretty good guy. Not a good answer. Because we know that a man is not justified by any of those things.

[4:14] But he is justified by the faith of Jesus Christ. Notice what Paul says next. That's why we believed. Now, we should look at that verse where it says, even we have believed in Jesus Christ.

[4:27] So you understand, even we. See, he's dealing with. Now, y'all look this way just a second. He's dealing with Gentiles. With pagans. With uncircumcised people.

[4:39] Kind of like us. In other words, we're mostly not Jewish people here. And that's who he's dealing with. And so he says, guys, even we Jews got saved the same way.

[4:50] We got the law. We know the law better than anybody. Hey, by the way, in Philippians chapter 3, before he got saved, the apostle Paul said, if you want to talk about keeping the law, I was blameless.

[5:01] I mean, I'm like good at it. I know how to obey the rules. But then look what he says in the verse. You got it there? Even we have believed in Jesus Christ. You Gentiles are letting these Judaizers, these people that came down from Jerusalem try to talk you into obeying rules and doing a bunch of stuff.

[5:18] And I'd just like you to know up front, even we who know the rules and who were brought up doing the rules, even we have believed in Jesus Christ. Why?

[5:29] We knew that if we wanted to be made right with God, we'd have to trust, not work. Look at the next part of the verse. We have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ.

[5:43] He said, you understand, nobody's justified by keeping the law. You're justified by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we. That's how we got it right with God. And we did that, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ.

[5:59] Paul said, you know, I knew all about keeping the rules, but it never did do anything for me. I knew how to keep the rules. I knew how to do all the stuff I was supposed to, but it didn't do what I needed it to do. I got saved by trusting Jesus.

[6:09] And look at the next part. And not by the works of the law. I mean, is this redundant or not? We are justified by faith, not the law. We're justified by trusting Jesus.

[6:22] Don't talk to me about when you got baptized. Don't talk to me about speaking in tongues. Don't talk to me about not eating bacon. Know that you're saved by trusting Jesus. If you understand that, say amen.

[6:33] And then he ends that verse, doesn't he? For by the works of the law, nobody, shall no flesh be justified.

[6:44] So when it all comes down to it, no Jew will go to heaven because he kept the Ten Commandments. No Jew will go to heaven because he obeyed the law. No Gentile will go to heaven because he obeyed the law.

[6:56] The Pope won't go to heaven because he was a good guy. Nobody gets there because they did good. Everybody gets there because they trust Jesus. If you get that, say amen.

[7:07] Now that, you did notice how eloquent I am. I basically read you the verse and repeated what it said. So it's not like I'm some smart guy. It's just like I can read. And that's all.

[7:19] Now skip down if you would with me to verse 19. The law showed me my failure. And in Christ I died so that I can live in God and live for God.

[7:29] Not the law, not the rules, but the one who did all this for me. Verse 19. For I through the law am dead to the law. See, it's the law that came along and said you as a sinner.

[7:41] It's the law that came along and said you're condemned. It's the law that came along and said you can't make it. It's the law that came along and said you are sick. It's the law that came along and said you need to die. And it put us to death.

[7:53] It put us to death. You ever watch these things that, you know, constantly, you know, somebody across the United States is going to the death penalty. You know, they're going to be a lethal injection or electric chair or whatever, and they're going to go to that.

[8:05] And everybody, I mean, if you watch, if you keep up with any news of what's going on, and those people are condemned. The law found them guilty. Let me say it this way.

[8:15] The law found me guilty. The law found you guilty. And the law put you to death. And the law sent you to hell. So don't try to keep it.

[8:26] It's really not your friend. It didn't save you. Jesus saves. Look, if you would, at verse 19. For I, through the law, am dead to the law. I don't want to keep the rules anymore.

[8:40] That I might live unto God. I'm going to show you what that means in a minute. I think you're going to enjoy it. I think it's going to help you to understand it. Go down to verse 21 if you would. Verse 21.

[8:52] I will not fight against God's goodness. That's what this verse says. I will accept his free gift. Look at what it says. I do not frustrate the grace of God. That's really not that hard to understand.

[9:05] If I walked over to you and said, this is a very nice Bible. You know, it's a leather Bible. It's got good paper. I always like to buy really nice Bibles. And this is a nice Bible. And I'd like to give you this Bible.

[9:15] And I said, I just want to give it to you. And you looked at me and said, 50 bucks? I say, you're frustrating me. What are you doing that for? I offered you a gift and you want to pay me for it?

[9:27] Why are you frustrating me? He said, I do not frustrate the grace of God. In no way will I dishonor Jesus and what he did on the cross. I'll never try to act like it was something I could do.

[9:40] And he didn't really need to die. Look at verse 21. I do not frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness come by the law, then it was useless for Jesus to die.

[9:55] If we could be saved by coming to church, reading the Bible, memorizing scripture, not eating bacon, not eating shrimp, not eating bacon wrapped shrimp, or shrimp wrapped in bacon dunked in cheese.

[10:09] If that could get you to heaven, then Jesus died for nothing. But Jesus died because we couldn't pay our sins. We couldn't get things right with God.

[10:20] I don't know how to tell you this. That was all just introduction. We're going to go to Galatians 2.16. And I want to talk to you today about how I am crucified with Christ.

[10:34] Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives. I mean, we're going to talk a little bit about that. But we've got to work our way to that. We'll see how far we can get. But look if you went to Galatians 2.16 again. And I'm going to read it again.

[10:45] You say, why are you going to read it again? Because it's good. Because it's nice for me to remember. Because you're supposed to know it. And it's the word of God.

[10:55] If it is, say amen. Look at Galatians 2.16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ.

[11:10] And not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Remember from last week that justified means that he declared us just or righteous.

[11:22] That's our legal standing with God based on Jesus and his resurrection. I am looking at a... How many of you have trusted Jesus and what he did on the cross at Calvary?

[11:34] Hold your hand up. I'm looking at a bunch of just people. I'm looking at a bunch of righteous people. I'm looking at a bunch of holy people. You say, you don't know me too good. It really ain't about you.

[11:45] I know him real good. And he said, you are righteous. He said, I declare them righteous. We have been pronounced righteous. We have not been just forgiven or pardoned.

[11:57] Again, I remind you if you were forgiven, you could go out and do it again. How many ever got a speeding ticket? You know, the cop pulled you over. And he was really nice. I know that never happened to none of you because you're all so holy.

[12:09] But he's come up to me and I've been even let go a couple of times. In all the years I've been driving, they never let me go. Other people seem to get away all the time. But the cop comes up to the window. He says, son, you know how fast you're going? They don't say son anymore now.

[12:20] They say granddad, you know how fast you're going? But anyway, they come up and they say, hey, you know how fast you're going? No, sir, not really. I know I was speeding, but I don't know exactly how fast. Well, would you slow it down? And you say, yes, sir. And he said, I will forgive you this time.

[12:31] You know what you tend to do. You drive the speed limit for at least 30 minutes. Okay, 10 minutes. And right around the corner, you might just get stopped again. Huh? See, forgiven doesn't mean you quit.

[12:44] How many of you have ever been stopped by a policeman and he just let you go? Hold your hand up. How many of you got caught speeding after that? Hold your hand up. How many of you are lying? Hold your hand up.

[12:54] Now, we're not just pardoned. It's not like they could look it up and say, Austin was a murderer, but he was pardoned. Okay, so he's not a murderer anymore legally, but no, no, no.

[13:06] He changed my record. Say amen. He changed my record. We have the very righteousness of God. We're as right as Jesus before God.

[13:18] Did you hear that? We're as right as Jesus before God. So let's look at some verses. You might mark them in the margin of your Bible or on a sheet of paper to look them up later. Number one, Jesus took our place.

[13:31] 1 Peter 3.18. He took our place. The Bible says in 1 Peter 3.18, For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust.

[13:43] The just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. Now, listen to what happened on Calvary. The just, the righteous, the holy, the perfect one died for the imperfect one.

[14:00] On Calvary, he's the just and I'm the unjust. But he died on the cross of Calvary so he could go get me and say, come on, I'll make you just. Come with me. That's what he did on the cross of Calvary.

[14:11] You should underline that in your Bible. The just for the unjust. He died in my place. He was just. He was right with God. I was unjust. I love this. He didn't die for the nearly just.

[14:24] Look at the verse. 1 Peter's right behind me. Look at it. He didn't die for the unjust. He died for the nearly unjust. He didn't die for the nearly just. He didn't die for the half ways there. He didn't die for the guy who turned over a new leaf.

[14:35] He said, I just died for the bum. I would have died for the guy. He died for us.

[15:08] Hey, you liar. You cheat. You fornicator. You pornographer. He died for that for us.

[15:20] So we could live a life of righteousness. 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 24. The Bible says in Isaiah 53, 6. You've heard it so many times here.

[15:31] But the Bible said, all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. But the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

[15:41] God put my sin on Jesus. You need to know who you are. If you're going to live a crucified life, you've got to know who you are. You've got to get your identity.

[15:52] You've got to understand who you are. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21, a verse I'm sure you know, probably have memorized.

[16:03] The Bible says he made him to be sin for us. That who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

[16:15] Do you understand that? On the cross of Calvary, God himself, perfection became sin. That we could be made the righteousness of God in him, in Jesus.

[16:31] That moment, we became new creatures. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5 and 17, therefore, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. Old things are passed away.

[16:43] Behold, all things are become new. I'm going to leave that verse, but I need you to understand this. You are not saved because you go to a Baptist church. Baptists are going to fill hell up.

[16:54] I'm sure there will be a section in hell for the Baptists. For the Southern Baptists, the Independent Baptists, the Independent Fundamental Baptists, there will be a section in hell for every kind of religious group because nobody goes to heaven because they keep the rules.

[17:06] Nobody goes to heaven because they do all the things you're told to do. You go to heaven because you came needy and hungry and sinful and ungodly and unjust.

[17:17] And you ask the just to pay for your sins. If you understand that, say amen. That's what salvation is. It's not about how good you're. Some of you are like, I'm not sure I'm really saved.

[17:28] How can I know I'll go to heaven? Because you didn't do it to get saved. He did it. Because it's dependent on what he did, not what you did. If you understand that, say amen. Second thing I'd like you to look at with me this morning.

[17:39] We now live this new life he gave us. We're living a new life. Verse 19. For I, through the law, am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

[17:55] I'm dead to the law that I might live unto God. I'm no longer under the law. We'll get more verses as you go through the Bible with us.

[18:10] But the law was your schoolmaster. Now on August the 18th, 1973, Lillia Elizabeth Gardner of Ferguson, better known as Betty Ferguson, came down the aisle of Fellowship Baptist Church in Rome, Georgia.

[18:26] And her daddy, Mr. Law, brought her down. And she got to the front. Poor thing. She'd been a Ferguson all of her life. I mean, what a tragedy.

[18:37] Say amen. And then the preacher said, Brother Kitchen said, Who gives this woman to be married? And my father-in-law said, her mother and I, and put Betty's arm on my arm.

[18:51] And a few minutes later, the preacher said Betty's name was changed, and she was a new person. And we walked out of there, Mr. and Mrs. Austin Gardner. We walked out of there, Austin and Betty Gardner. And most people don't even know she was a Ferguson.

[19:04] She was dead to the Fergusons and alive to the Gardners. Now you might think that's not that great a thing, but I hope she thinks it's okay. Say amen. It's either okay or for 43 years she's been in bondage to the Gardners.

[19:16] Amen. Because we've been married 43 years in August. And I want you to understand, I am no longer under the law. I'd like to show you something if I could.

[19:28] I'm going to get Mr. Daniel Mize to come up here and Timmy to come up here. Would help me just a minute if I could. And I would like to show you something if I could. You see, what happens when you get saved is you turn your back.

[19:40] Come on up here, guys. What are you doing? Come up here. Don't you understand. Timmy, give me about four or five chairs and bring them over here. I want you to understand that it's turning from one to the other.

[19:52] Being dead doesn't mean you're physically dead. That's not what it means. You're cut off. You've turned your back on that, and you've turned the other way. Now let me show you what happened here.

[20:02] Mr. Mize, could you stand right here, Mr. Mize, right here. Now, Mr. Mize, this is a Christian under the law. Now, Daniel, I need you to hold this right here.

[20:13] You've got to go to church and don't miss any services. You understand me? If you miss any churches, services, you're going to go to hell. You hear me, boy? All right. You ever lie to your mama, son? I don't want you ever disobeying your parents.

[20:26] You understand me? You got that? You got it? You understand it? You okay? You're still okay. Well, I tell you what. I need you to do right. Don't drop it.

[20:36] This is church. Those are church chairs. What are you doing? Now, here's what happened. The law's like, hey, pick them up, son. Do right. What are you doing? What are you doing?

[20:47] But the law says that so he can figure out this. Along comes another guy who's big enough to carry it all. Whoa. Stand right here. Hold your stuff.

[20:58] So he comes needy. What's that song we sing? Say he came broke. I came broken. You want to go ahead and help him, Timmy? I don't think he's going to be able to handle this one. Now. All right, Tim.

[21:10] You all just walk over this way. Hey, where's your load? Where's your load, buddy? See? The load's on Jesus. Amen. He's dead to that.

[21:21] He don't need it. He's alive in Jesus. And today he's living that holy life because Jesus is carrying his load. I'm not under the law anymore. You understand that? Say amen.

[21:32] All right, let me help you set that down. We got one more thing we're going to show. Yeah, there you go. Look how big he is. All right. All right. You just stand on over here a minute. I want you to come here with me, Mr. Mize.

[21:43] Now. All right. Stand right there. If you want to go to heaven, I want you to get on the platform from here without touching any chairs or the floor.

[21:54] And when you get all the way up here, you can go to heaven. No, I said you can't touch the floor. Back up. What do you do? You're touching the floor. Are you walking on the floor? You can't walk on the floor. Jump. Get up there.

[22:04] Come on. Let's do it. Come on. See, he can't. And you couldn't. Right. There was no way you could do it. Now, Jesus, could you help him get up here?

[22:16] You know, it is just not a big deal. That's what happened on Calvary. Say amen. Amen. Okay. Thank you. Y'all can have a seat. Now, listen to what I'm going to say.

[22:27] Listen to what I'm going to say. I am dead to the law through the law. The law said, Daniel, carry the chairs. And Daniel's like, I've been trying. I can't. The law said, hey, you want to get to heaven, you've got to be perfect.

[22:40] And Daniel's like, I can't. But now I can live for God. By the way, I don't want to take him up here and take all your time because I know we've got to finish today. But I'd like to say to him as a Christian, Daniel, carry those chairs.

[22:55] Daniel, carry those chairs. You've been saved and I carry the chairs. But Daniel could say, I don't ever carry the chairs to get here. I don't have to carry the chairs. Jesus is carrying the chairs.

[23:06] And by the way, the law makes you feel like a loser. Daniel, why can't you get up here? And he just stood. Did you see him? He was going. He started taking steps.

[23:16] He keeps stepping on the floor. That's where we were. And then you got saved and somebody wants to come along to you and tell you that your salvation depended on you doing stuff. It's not you.

[23:28] It's what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary. Now, by the way, the law would keep me. It keeps you feeling bad. Would you be honest? The law keeps you feeling bad.

[23:39] You know, you're trying to lose weight. You starve. You lose five pounds. And then one day after you lost five pounds, you're still starving. And you walk in and you don't lose anymore.

[23:51] I mean, if you've been there, hold your hand up. The scales make you feel horrible. Can you say, man, you know, I don't want to stand on those scales. Because I know. I starved for a whole month and they still keep going up.

[24:04] I don't even know what's going on here. So that's the point. That's the point. Is if you're not careful, the law beats you up. But we are alive.

[24:16] Jesus died on the cross for us. Now go with me to Romans 6. Go with me to Romans 6. Sin does not have power over you.

[24:29] The verse said in Galatians that I might live unto God. I can live this Christian life. I don't have to let sin beat me.

[24:40] Sin has no power over me. I'm a new creature. I know I was saved by his grace and I know I live by his grace. Porn doesn't have to beat you up, sir.

[24:53] Lying and cheating. You don't have to lose. You're on the winning team. Jesus is carrying you. You have victory in him. The Bible says in Romans 6 and verse 1.

[25:05] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in pornography that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer than you?

[25:16] You are dead to sin. That's not who you are. Say amen. You see, you're a new person. He said you're dead to sin. You're alive to God now.

[25:27] You don't have to do that. We are dead to sin. How should we live any longer therein? We're dead to sin. Look at Romans chapter 6 and verse 6. We do not have to serve sin.

[25:38] The Bible says knowing this. There's a no with them knowings. Our old man is crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be destroyed.

[25:49] That henceforth we should not serve sin. You see, sin was your master and owned you and was leading you straight to hell.

[26:03] But when you got saved, God said get your hands off of him. You can't control him. You can't tell him what to do. We do not serve sin. Verse 7.

[26:14] He that's dead is freed from sin. He that's dead. You can't give a dead man a speeding ticket. He's dead. And in Christ we are dead to sin and alive to God.

[26:29] In Romans chapter 6 and verse 11, the Bible says, Reckon you also yourselves to be dead. Really. Dead indeed. Dead really unto sin. But alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

[26:43] Verse 12. Let not sin reign in your mortal body. Don't let it. Hey, the devil can come to you and say, You got to sin. And the Lord Jesus said, No, he don't.

[26:54] You got to do wrong. No, he don't. The devil made me do it. He can't make you do it. The Lord has more power than him. New life in Christ. New life in Christ.

[27:06] Romans chapter 6. Let not sin reign. Romans 6.12. Romans 6.14. Sin no longer has power over you. For sin shall not have dominion over you.

[27:17] It will not rule over you. You do not have to sin. If you're sinning, it's because you want to sin. If you're sinning, it's because you're choosing to sin.

[27:28] Sin has no dominion over you. That's what the book says. Romans 6.14 says, You choose who you yield to. Know ye not that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey his servants you are to whom you obey.

[27:43] Whether of sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness. So I can choose. As a born again believer, I can say, I'm going to do wicked stuff. I can choose.

[27:53] But I choose who to yield myself to. So I can't blame it on the devil anymore. I can't blame it on who I used to be because I am a new creature. Do you hear that?

[28:05] Start living out who you are in Jesus Christ. I don't care what your past was. It got taken care of at Calvary. I don't care what your weaknesses are.

[28:17] It got taken care of at Calvary. There was a preacher in Arequipa whose name was Daniel Araujo. And Daniel was one of those guys. One day I was talking to him and so many of our Peruvians were drunkards.

[28:31] And I said, Daniel, you're one of the few people I've ever known like you. You know, you just, you've evidently just always served God. He said, oh, no, no, you just didn't know me. He said, when I got saved, I was a drunk.

[28:42] I was just a drunkard. I said, really? He said, yeah. I said, well, there's not a trace of it. He said, no, that's not who I am anymore. That's not who you are anymore. Say amen.

[28:52] You have victory in Jesus. Yield. Look at Romans 6, 19. I speak after the matter of men because of the infirmity of your flesh. For as you have yielded your members' servants to uncleanliness and unto iniquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your members' servants to righteousness unto holiness.

[29:12] Do you remember when you did wrong? When you did wrong, you were like loaning yourself to it, giving yourself to it. You were like, pass me another one of those. Let me do that sin right there. Let me look at that porn right there.

[29:23] Let me take that that doesn't belong to me. Let me lie and cheat and steal. Let me be proud and arrogant. You were doing that. It was like a part of you. But you got saved, man. He says, hey, you don't have to yield yourself to that anymore.

[29:35] Yield yourself unto God. And God will help you live this life. That's what he's going to do. He's not going to really help you live it. He's going to live his life through you. And we'll see that in just a moment.

[29:47] Look at Colossians 1.27. And then we'll go back to Galatians real good. Colossians 1.27. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you.

[30:05] Christ in you. The hope of glory. Now, before you got saved, it was you in you. And you ain't that good. But when you got saved, it's Christ in you.

[30:18] The hope of glory. That's what this crucified life's about. You're not that guy anymore. You are a new creature. Old things are washed away. All things have become new.

[30:28] You're a new creature. Now, you don't have to do anything this morning. If you're born again, it's already true of you. Start acting like it. Look, if you would.

[30:39] Back at Galatians 2.20. Galatians 2.20. It's not me living this life, but it's Christ in me living his life. Look at 2.20.

[30:50] I am crucified with Christ. It doesn't say I need to be crucified with Christ. It doesn't say I should be crucified with Christ. It says I am crucified with Christ.

[31:03] I didn't write that. I'm just reading it. I am crucified with Christ. But I'm still alive. Nevertheless, I live. But it's not me, yet not I, but Christ living in me.

[31:17] In the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. When we realize Jesus isn't somewhere way up in heaven.

[31:31] He moved in. He didn't move into Vision Baptist Church. He moved into your heart. Christ in you. Christ in you. Christ in you. The hope of glory.

[31:44] I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. In the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

[31:58] He loves me. He loves you. If you understand that, say amen. He loved you enough to save you, but he didn't save you to leave you. He didn't save you to say, now figure it out on your own.

[32:12] He loved you and saved you and jerked you out of that mess so he could move in and he could live in and through you. You have victory in Christ. I'm dead. We died effectively with Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

[32:28] We are dead. That's why the law's not got any power over us. The law has no power over dead people. If we were in Christ and we died on the cross of Calvary, I'm dead.

[32:39] I died with Christ on the Calvary. But while I'm dead, I'm still alive. It says, I am crucified with Christ. I crucified with Christ. That's Jesus, you know, amen. And he was crucified.

[32:50] I am crucified with him. Oh, if you go read Romans chapter 6, that's what it says in the first part of Romans chapter 6. While I'm dead, I'm alive. But my life's no longer my life. Look at the verse.

[33:01] I'm crucified with Christ, ever lest I live, yet not I. But Christ liveth in me. So inside of me, God himself is alive. I ain't talking about a spark of hope.

[33:13] I'm not talking about something Joel O.C. might tell you about. I'm telling you, you got saved and God moved in. My life's no longer my life. I'm still physically alive, but I live my life trusting in Jesus.

[33:29] He is worthy of my life because he loved me and he gave himself for me. And he didn't abandon you. Some of us kind of got this idea that he saved us and then he said, now y'all go live a Christian life.

[33:42] Well, y'all go live it. I'll come back and check on you in a hundred years. That's not what he did. He lives in us. We became his temple. We're his. If you get that, say amen.

[33:54] We live this life through faith. We got to start believing it. Now, I've never been a woman that got married. It might shock you. But I've never been a woman that got married.

[34:08] But Betty was a woman that got married. And she was a Ferguson. And when she got married, she died to the Fergusons and came alive to the Gardeners. And when she came alive to the Gardeners, she lived with me.

[34:22] And her focus wasn't on what the Fergusons thought. Her focus was on what I thought. I'm not Jesus and I can't do all that stuff for her. But that's the whole picture. You're not who you used to be.

[34:32] Quit acting like it. Quit acting like it. Quit being a beat up guy saying, I don't know why I can't live a Christian life. You can't live the Christian life. He lives a Christian life. He gives you and you live it by faith.

[34:44] The Bible says in Colossians 2.6, As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him. How did you receive him? You believed. You believed and trusted him and he saved you.

[34:56] Now, how are you going to live a Christian life? You're going to believe him. You're going to get up tomorrow morning and say this. I know he can live his life in me. I know he can change my life. I know he can give me victory over sin.

[35:07] I know I'm a new creature and I'm going to live that out just like I got saved. I'm going to live by faith. I'm going to believe God. Rooted and built up in him. Established in the faith as you have been taught.

[35:20] Abounding therein with thanksgiving. It's the Lord Jesus Christ who is actively working in you. The idea here is I give up my life and I allow Jesus to live his life through me.

[35:36] Basically, what ends up happening in most of us is you can say there's a throne in your life. And you know what you do? We sit on this throne. And we say, this is my life and I'll run it the way I want to run it.

[35:48] I'll be at church when I want to go to church. I'll read my Bible when I want to read my Bible. I'll live holy when I want to live holy. I do what I want to do. I live life my way. It's mine. But a born again Christian who's going to live this life is going to get up by the chair and say, I'll just sit down here.

[36:03] Jesus, if you'll take that seat that belongs to you. You earned it. You bought me. You saved me. Now you tell me what to do. It's a whole different way of thinking. It's not a matter of, it's not a matter of, I think I can quit this.

[36:16] It's not a matter of, I think I can do that. It's a matter of saying, no, Jesus is. I know he can. We take second seat to Jesus. We allow him to order our priorities.

[36:27] My life is his, not mine. It is his. I'm bought with a price. If it is, say amen. I'm his. I belong to him. Philippians 121, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

[36:42] He loves me and I love him. I want him to live out of me all that he's done in me. Do you realize what he's done in us? Do you realize what he's done?

[36:53] If we believe the Bible, he has forgiven our sins. If we believe the Bible, he has justified us and made us right. If we believe the Bible, there's therefore now no condemnation to us.

[37:05] If we believe the Bible, we're going to go to heaven when we die. If we believe the Bible, the Lord Jesus moved into our heart and rules and reigns. If we believe the Bible, our past was washed away and swapped over for Jesus' past.

[37:18] If we believe the Bible, we're righteous now. Here's what we're going to do. We're going to start acting like it. We're going to start living, allowing him to live. By the way, he don't want to help you live your life.

[37:29] He does not want to help you live your life. He does not want to help you be a better salesman. He does not want to help you make more money. He wants to live his life through you.

[37:42] He wants your hands to be his hand and your mouth to be his. He wants to live in us. He wants to live in us. The law was a hard taskmaster.

[37:54] I never could live up to its demands. But I now have a new love in my heart and in my life. I think it's amazing. A young girl is at home and her mother walks in and says, wash the dishes, make up the beds, sweep the floors.

[38:11] Vacuum dust. And the girl does a half job. The mama comes in and says, I don't get it. You're fixing to get married. Wash the dishes.

[38:23] Look at all the junk you left on this plate right here. Clean things up. What are you doing? The girl's like, tell me what. Then she gets married. She comes in the house, just like the other, probably a lot smaller.

[38:36] She comes in this new house. And but she cleans the plates. She washes the dishes. She vacuums the floor. And instead of being gripey and grumpy, she's happy and smiling.

[38:50] She changes a little kid's diaper. It's not like changing a kid you're babysitting. It's your baby. I mean, let's just be honest. That's got to be one of the grossest jobs in the world.

[39:03] But mama, boy, she just got the sweetest look on her face. Even if it, you know, you know, anyway, you got it. You're with me, right? But she's in love.

[39:14] She's in love. She sets up all night by her baby and keeps a wet towel on his forehead and holds his hand, holds her hand and prays to that kid because she wants to.

[39:26] She's not a nurse who's looking to go find a smoke break. She's not somebody. She's in love. That's what happened when we got saved. We're in love with Jesus. Now, the law used to say, step up.

[39:37] Do your job. Do right. Do right. Do right. And I was like, I can't. I can't. I can't. And Jesus comes and says, I'll just take care of it for you. Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden. I'll give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn of me.

[39:50] That's what Jesus said. I give up. Practically, I give up rulership of my life. It's me knowing the truth and acting like it's true and yielding to him.

[40:03] I can't imagine what it must be like when you go in and somebody says, after 18 years, you've been Betty Ferguson, Betty Ferguson, Betty Ferguson.

[40:14] And they say, what's your name? Betty Gardner. I mean, that had to feel weird. Betty Ferguson, Betty Ferguson, Betty Ferguson, Betty Ferguson. And then one day, Betty Gardner.

[40:27] When did that happen? Changed my name yesterday. I got married last night. You know, it's a whole different reality. You're under a whole different reality. Can you say amen?

[40:38] You're not who you used to be. So this thing of you being beat up by sin is ridiculous. You have victory. He didn't come to help you.

[40:53] Verse 21 says, Galatians 2, 21. I do not frustrate the grace of God, for it is righteous as came by the law, or comes by the law. Christ is dead in vain.

[41:04] I can't live my, or hit this life on my own. The law proved I couldn't do it. And just because I prayed a prayer don't mean I will be able to. See, the law was weak.

[41:16] In Romans chapter 8 and verse 3, and what the law couldn't do, because it was weak through the flesh, Jesus did, so that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us.

[41:28] God, for what the law could not do, Romans 8, 3, what the law could not do, for in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son, and the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the world, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us.

[41:46] So we learn to abide in him. So I want to leave you with this. The same way you got saved, that's how you're going to live. You got saved by trusting Jesus. And sin may have a strong hold on you, but tomorrow you get up and say, by his grace, and by believing him, I will win over this sin.

[42:05] And I will learn to serve Jesus. And Jesus will live his life through me. He is going to take you on to holiness. He is going to take you on to living a new life.

[42:16] You can stop it with, I can't help it, this is my past. I can't help it, it's my makeup, it's my genetic makeup, I can't help it. Not true. You know truth.

[42:27] Knowing this. Knowing this. We know something. Jesus made a difference in us. Amen? You can have victory through what Jesus Christ did on the cross at Calvary.

[42:40] If you don't have it, today's the day to get victory. If you're here and you're not born again, you don't know you go to heaven, today's the day you could be saved. You can trust Christ. Trust what he did on the cross at Calvary. Realize that your sin is going to take you to hell.

[42:51] Realize the law shows you your sin and trust Jesus. And if you're here and you're a Christian, you've been letting the law beat you up and sin beat you up. It's time to live up to who you are. In all the years Betty and I have been married, she's always said she's Betty Gardner.

[43:12] That's amazing to me. If I spent my life saying I was also Gardner and then one day you just told me from now on your name isn't Gardner anymore, I think I'd stumble on that one, huh? Like you do about being a Christian.

[43:24] Like you do it about being his. But if you'll get your eyes on him, you'll find out how sweet he is. He loves you. This ain't a beat you up thing. It's a wonderful thing.

[43:35] He loves you. He died for you. And he will live his life through you. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I. But Christ lives in me.

[43:48] I can't tell you who you are. The children of God. I can't get you to understand that. You're the children of God. Can't get you to understand this. But you're the righteousness of God. Can't get you to understand this.

[43:58] But you have a new life. Can't get you to understand this. But you have power to live the life he called you to. This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alfred, Georgia.

[44:14] For more information, log on to www.visionbaptist.com where you can find our service times, location, contact information, and more audio and video recordings.