Romans 6:4b-6 (NKJV) even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
When Christians speak of being crucified with Christ, we are referring to our identity in Christ. We are dead to self but alive in Christ; the old man—including our sinful habits—is dead, and our past is buried with Christ!
Our lives are identified with Christ. We are identified with Him in our baptism, which is a beautiful symbol of His death and resurrection. We publicly declare to the world that we have died with Christ, are buried with Him, as we go into the water through immersion and are raised with Him as we emerge from the water during the process of baptism.
Identification refers to our complete union with Christ in His sacrificial substitution. Those who are in Christ were united with Him at the cross by God’s sovereign, inscrutable act; they were crucified with Christ and buried with Him, so that their history is now ended before God.
Your old man, or the old nature, is dead. The truths below reiterate what it means to be crucified with Christ:
- We were crucified with Christ. (Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6)
- We have died with Christ. (Romans 6:1-11)
- We were buried with Christ. (Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12)
- We were made alive together with Christ. (Colossians 2:13, Ephesians 2:4-5)
- We were justified with Him. (Romans 4:24-25)
- We were born again by the Father. (Ephesians 2:10)
- We were resurrected together with Him. (Colossians 2:12, 3:1, Ephesians 2:6)
- We were made to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 2:5-6)
Jesus promised us an abundant life, and this life begins the moment we receive Christ. What does it look like in marriage? In our old man’s thinking, marriage was all about the big “I”, rather than seeing ourselves as one flesh. When both husband and wife think this way, a broken marriage is inevitable. But when we have been crucified with Christ, we will die to individualism and begin to walk in love and forgiveness. Because our old self is dead, we will begin to live for Christ and for our spouse, so that our home will be filled with warmth and love.
Reflection: Do you consider your old self dead and buried, and that you have risen to new life in Christ? How might this truth change the way you respond to your old sinful habits or in your relationships with your loved ones?
Sermon Series： Legalism or Life in Christ
行在新生命中
罗马书 6:4 所以，我们借着洗礼归入死，和他一同埋葬，原是叫我们一举一动有新生的样式，像基督借着父的荣耀从死里复活一样。
当基督徒谈到“与基督同钉十字架”时，我们所指的是我们在基督里的身份。我们向自己而死，却在基督里得着新生命；我们的旧人——包括一切罪性的习惯和生命中的过去——都已经与基督同死，并被埋葬了！我们的生命已经与基督认同并联合。洗礼正是基督死而复活的美好象征。借着受洗，我们公开向世人宣告：我们已经与基督同死、同埋葬；当我们浸入水中时，象征与祂一同进入死亡；当我们从水中起来时，象征与祂一同复活，进入新的生命。
“认同”意味着我们完全联合于基督为我们所成就的代赎之工。凡在基督里的人，都因着神主权且奥秘的作为，在十字架上与基督联合；他们已经与基督同钉十字架、同被埋葬，因此，在神面前，他们旧生命的历史已经结束了。
你的旧人，也就是旧的罪性本质，已经死了。以下真理再次强调了“与基督同钉十字架”的意义：
- 我们已经与基督同钉十字架。（加拉太书 2:20；罗马书 6:6）
- 我们已经与基督同死。（罗马书 6:1-11）
- 我们已经与基督同埋葬。（罗马书 6:3-4；歌罗西书 2:12）
- 我们已经与基督一同活过来。（歌罗西书 2:13；以弗所书 2:4-5）
- 我们已经因祂得称为义。（罗马书 4:24-25）
- 我们已经因父神而重生。（以弗所书 2:10）
- 我们已经与基督一同复活。（歌罗西书 2:12，3:1；以弗所书 2:6）
- 我们已经与基督一同坐在天上。（以弗所书 2:5-6）
耶稣应许赐给我们丰盛的生命，而这生命从我们接受基督的那一刻就已经开始了。这在婚姻中会是什么样子呢？按照旧人的思维，婚姻常常围绕着那个巨大的“我”字展开，而不是看见夫妻二人已经成为“一体”。当丈夫和妻子都坚持以自我为中心时，婚姻关系最终难免走向破裂。然而，当我们与基督同钉十字架时，我们就会向个人主义死，开始活出爱与饶恕。因为旧我已经死了，我们便不再单单为自己而活，而是为基督而活，也为配偶而活。如此，我们的家庭就会充满温暖、恩典与爱。
默想：你是否真正相信自己的旧人已经死了、埋葬了，并且已经在基督里复活，得着新生命？这项真理将如何改变你面对过去罪性习惯时的态度？又会如何影响你与家人、配偶或身边所爱之人的关系呢？
讲章系列：律法主义，还是在基督里的生命？