December 14, Evening
C. H. Spurgeon · Modern retelling
"I am crucified with Christ." — Galatians 2:20 · KJV
The Lord Jesus Christ acted, in what He did, as a great public representative person, and His dying on the cross was the virtual dying of all His people. Then all His saints rendered to justice what was due, and made expiation to divine vengeance for all their sins. The apostle of the Gentiles delighted to think that, as one of Christ's chosen people, he died on the cross in Christ. He did more than believe this doctrinally; he accepted it confidently, resting his hope on it. He believed that by virtue of Christ's death he had satisfied divine justice and found reconciliation with God. Beloved, what a blessed thing it is when the soul can, as it were, stretch itself on the cross of Christ and feel, "I am dead; the law has slain me, and I am therefore free from its power, because in my Surety I have borne the curse, and in the person of my Substitute the whole that the law could do by way of condemnation has been executed on me; for I am crucified with Christ." But Paul meant even more than this. He not only believed in Christ's death and trusted in it, but he actually felt its power in himself, in causing the crucifixion of his old corrupt nature. When he saw the pleasures of sin, he said, "I cannot enjoy these; I am dead to them." Such is the experience of every true Christian. Having received Christ, he is to this world as one utterly dead. Yet, while conscious of death to the world, he can at the same time exclaim with the apostle, "Nevertheless I live"; he is fully alive to God. The Christian's life is a matchless riddle. No worldling can comprehend it; even the believer himself cannot understand it. Dead, yet alive! Crucified with Christ, and yet at the same time risen with Christ in newness of life! Union with the suffering, bleeding Savior, and death to the world and sin, are soul-cheering things. Oh, for more enjoyment of them!