January 5, 2024

I Have Been Crucified with Christ

PBSC 2024 | Alex Poberezhnyuk

EPC | Philadelphia

Scripture: Galatians 2:15-16

Topic: I Have Been Crucified with Christ

Introduction

Dear brothers and sisters,

Let us say glory to God, what a wonderful morning the Lord has gifted us. I have great news for you! You came to us but it will be difficult for you to leave because the snowstorm is coming and it is coming when when we're ending our conference. As soon as our conference is over you can calmly go home. I would want this conference to bring you joy that you receive what you have been expecting. You have tuned yourself, you're coming, you're expecting something to receive. I'm going to give you a practical example from life. The brothers, let's say they decided to go to a steakhouse and they're told that they they have cooked these great steaks and they were expecting is they were hoping for it. Then they come and they receive what they were expecting, they enjoy this steak, and they leave the steak, and they said that was so wonderful. What do I want to compare that to? Not one of us who were preparing for this conference or the preachers, none of us can give you what the Lord can give you. Tune yourself to receive something from God, prepare your faith to hear the word that is going to be preached and to dissolve it with faith and the faith that you will hear from the holy scriptures, let it indwell in you let it be dissolved in your innermost parts and then you will see how God is blessing you through it.

Understanding the Theme

The theme of our conference is “I am crucified with Christ” do you understand first of all we have to turn our attention to Christ, who was crucified. Most importantly, Christ is crucified, what he has done for me and once through the Holy Spirit revealing this truth to us we understand what God has done for us, we will say I also want to be crucified. I want to thank you dear young people that you created these great displays in the back, when I entered it was wonderful to see the theme, it was wonderful to see the banners as soon as you enter. You feel this atmosphere that you're welcomed, but then when I kept going, my heart it was filled with gratitude toward God. When I started to look at these little tools that were tied to the crucifixion, when we first approached we saw the nails, then we took we saw the whip and I purposely picked it up in my hand. Do you understand it's not light, someone purposely created this equipment for torment. When I lifted it up and I swung it, the force of the of the whip it goes into the tips and when the tormentor was whipping and when he was pulling his hand back, the whip was pulling back bits of flesh. It was designed not just as strike, but in order to shred. When I did that a few times that is what Christ was beaten with, then the next display I just took the the crown of thorns, You know if you're holding it just in your hands, it's already poking you in your hands, and these practical displays show us what Christ suffered for us. When this crown of thorns was taken and it was laid on the head of the king of kings and when he was struck with sticks on top of it and people were coming up and striking him on the face and saying prophesy who struck you. You understand, you see this full picture painted before you. The love of God the Father, who loved all of us that he gave his beloved Son, the Holy One, the Righteous One, blameless not for your sins but for my sins and most important, is that you feel that, that you understand it, that you ask God to reveal it to you. Jesus Christ you did this for me. Let us stand up and thank the Lord.

The Passage

As a foundation of my sermon, I want to take the epistle to the Galatians. As we have two days, we have five preachers, I want to prepare you that each speaker, each preacher, is going to display this topic from a different vantage point. When various passages of the scriptures will be taken and explained because one person cannot take all the passages of the scriptures and explain them. That will be difficult, we will attempt for each one to reveal his topic. I will be touching more on the epistle to the Galatians for Galatians 2:19. It is written

“For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ.”

When we read this passage of the Holy Scriptures, we must understand what meaning God has placed in this text so that we would not add something human. But we will try to delve into the Holy Scriptures what has God placed in the meaning of this text for us to know and so the epistle was written to the Galatians.

The History of the Galatian Church

Who here has studied the historical foundation of the Galatian church? As an instructor, I just want to ask you a question who knows when was this church established? Let me ask differently, who planted the church? Apostle Paul. Apostle Paul had three missionary journeys and the fourth one to Rome. Which Journey do you think he founded this church on? When we read history we're told in the second missionary journey and when he came to Galatia. Where is Galatia? What country is it of in today's time? Turkey. Correct. Galatia was in the middle of Turkey, the Galatians in the middle and when he came he began to preach the Gospel and many repented and you know in this church there were Jews that repented and non-jews.

The Transition from Law to Grace

So the church became mixed. The Jews who tried to fulfill the laws of Moses. Who held on to all 613 laws. Also people were converted who did not follow these 613 laws, they received the news of Salvation as the Messiah. They received him as a personal Savior and they had nothing in common with the law of Moses. But what inspired this epistle there was a transitional period there were Jews that held on to the law laws of Moses. And then grace came, the Salvation came through Christ justification according to faith in Christ. The law brought us to the Messiah, Jesus came, and now salvation is by grace. Transition from the law to salvation by grace through faith, but there is a problem that happened. The Jews that held on to the law of Moses, they began to add. You know you Gentiles converted and will be good Christians, but first you have to be circumcised, you have to receive Judaism, and then everything else, and then you will be good Christians. But if you don't do this something's lacking in this transitional period they they were put a break on. He said why do we have to go back to the law to be justified by the deeds of the law? We have Christ who died for our sins and we read this by faith. People ask asked the question. Wait a minute we don't understand something. Am I justified before God by my works? or according faith in Jesus? The Jews said according to faith in Christ that's good because he's the Messiah, but to be a good Christian you have to be circumcised. When Apostle Paul heard this, he purposely wrote an entire epistle. So that those who receive the good news, those who received Jesus Christ as a personal savior. That they would be rooted in faith only in Christ and this letter begins to explain why only Christ. Now we're going to read the entire text which we're going to exposit.

Galatians 2:15

“We ourselves are Jews by birth” I like how Apostle Paul begins this, he clearly says we. We're Jews, what about these Gentiles. “and not Gentile sinners;” beginning with this we are the law we are Justified. These Gentiles they're sinners. We agree with that. We as Gentiles we didn't have anything, we didn't have the law, nothing. But the Jews, if you sin, you took a sheep, you brought as a sacrifice, your good. We're going to look later what many Jews did in order to show their righteousness. But then Apostle Paul, he humbles all the Jews. All those who place their foundation in their works he lowers them down to earth and he shows them the right picture.

Galatians 2:16

“yet know that a person is not justified by the works of the law” there's transitional period “but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” Verse 16 notice there's three times that the word justified is mentioned. If this word is repeated three times in a verse you have to pay attention. Justified.

I Am Crucified with Christ

When we keep reading he says “through the law I died to the law to live for God” and he says later that “I am crucified with Christ” and then later he says “it is no longer I who live” I don't exist anymore “but Christ who lives in me" and that I live now in my flesh.” I'm not in heaven. I haven't ascended. I'm on Earth. I'm living in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God. Who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law then Christ died for no purpose. If justification is by deeds and the whole plan of salvation of God about the Messiah is in vain. Now there's this picture painted that Paul wants to tell us. From this passage of the scriptures we'll pay attention to the important words. Justified. The works of the law or faith in Christ. I am crucified. I live for God and I died to being justified by my deeds. This passage of the Scriptures, it tells us these important words. Let's us go a little deeper and ask Lord what are you trying to tell us?

What is Justification?

First justification. What is justification? My dear young people have you ever tried to justify yourself before your parents. Many parents will say of course. What does it mean to be justified it is the fact or the evidence that you're not guilty. The evidence that you are right or that you're righteous. We try to justify ourselves before God and the Jews they wanted to justify themselves before God, through their deeds. What about about the inside. The deeds are showing something, but the inside has poor motives or sinful motives. If the internal motives are good, then the thoughts are bad. When we stand before God and when God illuminates us. We cannot justify ourselves by works. We are people, we're sinful. When we sin, sin has entered our entire being. Our thoughts, our wills, our our feelings. Maybe we demonstrate something good with one side but we lose in another. But the Jews said we can be justified. God said no you can't.

Let me give you a practical example of my life. I live in Philadelphia and there's my my street is not a a regular drive-through street, but you have to sort of turn into this lane. I received a ticket on my own street. I get to the intersection as always on your own street, I just keep going. Now the police officer stops me, I'm looking at him, he's looking at me. He said “You didn’t stop at a stop sign.” he said “You're going to have to pay a ticket.” I don't want to argue with him I said I'll see you in court. Then I come to my street I looked at this intersection. I said “How can I justify myself?” Then I saw that there's a tree growing and it's covering the stop sign. I take my photo camera, I take a picture and I go to my court to justify myself. I come to court judge is sitting before me. I gently address him, your honor, I want to tell you that I'm not guilty. I want to show you the evidence of my guiltlessness. He said that's fine, I show him the picture. I said “Look when you're driving out, there's this tree that's covering the stops sign. I didn't see it.” What's interesting the evidence shows that I'm not guilty. He said that's all right, but he was very wise. He said “Look you were given a ticket on Grace Lane but you live on Grace Lane. How long have you been living on Grace Lane?” I said more than 16 years, he said “In 16 years, you didn't learn there's a stop sign there?” I want to show you this practical picture. I'm justifying myself and according to the facts I'm right, but my motive is wrong. My thoughts are wrong, he said you lived there for 16 years when you bought this house the tree didn't even grow like that. You saw and you know that the stop sign was there, but you trespassed it and now you're showing your justification. He said “Take it away so I don't give you a bigger fine.” I said “Your honor thank you, I will pay the fine, but do show me this mercy because I live in Philadelphia, please take the points away. He looked at me, he said “Do you truly understand that you're guilty?” I said “yes” he said “I'll take your points off, but you got to pay the ticket.” In the same way, the Jews came with their deeds showing that we can be justified, but their motives were wrong. Their thoughts were wrong. Why was the law given? The law led to Christ. Through the law we learn what repentance is. What is the admission of your guilt? What does it mean to come before God and how you should approach God. The law showed us what is the forgiveness of sins which you need because you're guilty. The law gave me a relationship to one another and to God. The entire law led to Christ and in that moment Christ came. We come to this transitional period and the transitional period consists of this justification only through Christ.

The Party of the Pharisees

Galatians 2:16 “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” In Galatia, the Jews started saying hold on wait. What is it written in the Psalms, that your law brings me joy. Apostle Paul says regarding to the law I'm Guiltless. He said how can we forsake all of our deeds. I'm going to show you the picture what kind of Pharisees there were. The party of the Pharisees, they had seven types of Pharisees. Each party each group of this party they showed something different. One group was called the shoulder Pharisees. What did they do on their body on their on their robes, they would put a account of all the good deeds that they have done. They carried this. The Pharisees that were called The Waiting Pharisees they would postpone their good deeds until the next day. Why we're going to study if that's a good thing or bad thing. God forbid you would sin and they show this there were these beaten up. Pharisees they were truly covered by wounds. They showed before everyone that they don't want to see sin and God forbid it entered their thoughts. Seeing a woman they would cover their eyes and they would just walk by there were narrow streets and they would always strike themselves. This is a fact of history, there were these Hunchback Pharisees. They were always walking by and showing that they have this humility before God. Then the eternally seeking Pharisees, they were always seeking something to find good deeds to show this off. I did this, I did that, people look. They were standing there and praying. I'm seeking after God on the intersection of the street and then they would look around people are here no they're not here oh they're coming again. In order to show off, to show off their deeds, I'm trying. Further, the fearing Pharisees, they fear to do something wrong. There was always a fear before people, they didn't want to associate with people. That's why Pharisees were really closed off inside, and they were God-fearing Pharisees who truly love God. And further, these Pharisees looking at their lives, when their life was as full of just a show off display. In order to show we're so good. Paul says you have to reject all of that. How? To fully change the style of your life, because everything that you're doing, you will not be justified by it before God.

How to Live a Crucified Life

How to transfer that, or how to apply that into today's time? The question of justification, sometimes we think I was born in the Christian family, I sing in a choir, I sang in groups, I went to a mission trip, I participate, I try to help here and there, I give my tithe, and then we have this situation “Lord I think I'm okay.” I haven't done these great sins Lord. Look at me, I'm pretty good. I can justify myself. I'm not worse than others. And Christ in His sense, he brings forward a parable, two people come into the temple to pray, and one comes from Philadelphia, and another one comes from Philadelphia. One says, Lord, I do a lot, look at all these things that I'm doing and that's true. And look at there's a guy that comes like me, like Alex, I'm pounding myself in the chest, and saying “Lord be merciful to me I give up I can't I can't because I see that I want to but it's all so flawed I do well in this area but I fail in this area.” I come before God and say “Lord I need your mercy, Lord I beg for your mercy.” You know what Jesus Christ said at the end of this Parable? Who remembers? “That one left home justified.” Do you understand, that in our lives dear young people, and we as old people we live through this already. Whatever we attempt to do, we will not be able to justify ourselves. To justify yourselves before God, that means to crucify yourself. You have to die to yourself, you have to die to yourself, meaning you place no trust and no hope in your own strength. When I die, I am not myself anymore, I'm no longer relying on the things that I can do. Do you know the situation when you're justified? You're not trusting in yourself anymore, you have a status, justified. When you have this status, justified, the devil can send you thoughts. The devil may approach and say you can't your life isn't going to work out, you will fail, nothing's going to work out. And entirely you say, yes devil I can't, because I died to myself, but I live for Christ and now I am crucified with Christ.

Let us keep going, the next thing that this passage tells us, I died, what does that mean? I died for myself, I died in hope on my my own strength, I attempted and I failed. Practically how many times in our lives have we said I'm not going to do that. Maybe you had this less, I had it many times. I came to one truth, I can't overcome myself. I can't overcome the desires which I have. But putting forth effort, I come to Christ. When I come to Him and said Lord I cannot be victorious, I give up. I rely on you. You are my life. I died to trying to reach justification by my deeds. What does that mean to be dead? I am dead relying in terms of relying on myself. I won't be able to justify with my own strength, with my own strength I will not be able to overcome sin, with my own strength I will not be able to be the salt and light in this world. I am dying to myself. I live for Christ who gives me strength to do these things. If I'm not sinning that's not my strength, it is the strength of the Holy Spirit in my life. The Holy Spirit is guarding, the Holy Spirit gives strength, the Holy Spirit is leading. I will ask the Father and He will send you the advocate the Holy Spirit. Only because Jesus Christ became my life. And here is talking about death.

I want to get to the next point, when death comes it's time for crucifixion. Understand when we're talking about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. We must understand about the spiritual meaning. What does it mean I am crucified with Christ? Do you understand physically we're not crucified with Him. Here there's deep spiritual meaning of understanding. In the same way as Jesus was talking about His body and His blood. He wasn't speaking about physical, He said you must receive this spiritually. Brothers and sisters and when we say we died, we we dissected that, what does it mean I am crucified with Christ? It goes step by step in terms of understanding. In order to be crucified with Christ it is a small process. We must understand it.

Faith in Christ

First, to be crucified with Christ you must receive by Faith, by your personal faith. Not that I go to church, the faith of my my grandparents, my relatives, no we're talking about personally your faith. Christ was crucified for my sins, from that point that's where the process of crucifixion begins. First you and I must understand Christ died for my sins. By faith we believe that the the blood of Jesus Christ paid for our sins and Peter he proves this in the passage of the Scriptures. 1 Peter 2:24 “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” First of all we must all receive that Christ died for me.

Dying to Self, Living for Christ

Second point when we understand that he died for my sins, I can't free myself of them, I am crucified with Christ. That means I give up. There is no more me. I won't be able to justify myself. I won't be able to forsake my sins, but my sins Jesus nailed them to the to the cross. I am crucified with Christ means I no longer exist I no longer try to justify myself. I am crucified with Christ. I will no longer justify myself. I can't justify myself. Jesus Christ is my justification and that means I'm crucified. Not me, not my strength, not my desires, everything, all of that, is not enough. I fully give up. Jesus Christ, only you can justify myself. Crucifixion brings death. It brought me death in in a sense that I will no longer put forth this effort and my hope that I will be justifying myself. I'm not even thinking about that. I'm not even raising that topic. When I want to justify myself, I don't even want to talk about that. I'm dead for that topic. I'm not touching it. Because I can't justify myself, only Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me and the fact that I live now in the flesh and that we live on this Earth, we live by faith. I died for the law of justification by works. I divided, I separated myself from being justified by works. Further I'm justified and when I understood I'm justified, I become a new creation. I become a child of God. Jesus Christ justified me and He's leading me into His own family. I am a child of God. I'm saved. I'm born of God. I receive the title child of God. When I receive this title of the child of God, the Scriptures tell us we're a new creation, we're a new man. I become a new man through the justification of Jesus Christ. It leads me to works of faith. Notice, we reject the justification by works. We receive a birth from God, justification, we become children of God, we receive a new nature, and then we go to works. We reject some works, and then we return back to works. So what works are we doing? We do good deeds. What's the difference? Before we try to justify ourselves by works and we can't. We did works to be justified, but after God saved us and made us his children. We again do deeds but we're not justified by those deeds. But we do these deeds to worship our God. To praise our God because we're a new creation and therefore when we became His children. We crucified ourselves, Lord I no longer exist. God changes us, and we do good deeds. And people seeing our good deeds, not for our justification, for the glory and praise of our God. That is the process I have died with Christ. I'm not relying on my own strength anymore. I'm justified, child of God, God gives me strength, I do good deeds in order to worship my Jesus. Wow! And people look at you and say wow! Apostle Paul, he wanted to bring that to the Galatians. The works are not for justification, but are for Praise of our God. Jesus said, when you do good works, you are the light you are the salt. And when people see your good deeds because you're a person who's been born of God, they glorify the Father, they glorify God. Notice our life is not centered on ourselves. I'm crucified I no longer exist, but everything I do is for the glory of God. It's not for my justification, it is for the glory of my Savior and Father and Lord Jesus Christ.

Leaving Everything Behind

In finishing up I want to give you another practical example for my life, my father he was a pilot of Aviation. He came to church for 10 years, my mother she converted first, she repented first, and the evening comes my mom says I'm going to church. He's an unbeliever, he said my wife is leaving in the evening, and saying she's going to service. I have to go with her, I'm going to go with her just to check out what is she doing there. He would come with her to the church services for 10 years, he listened to the word of God, and when I spoke with him, he said I couldn't understand why am I a sinner? I'm an officer of Aviation, I am testing test flying these planes, the fighter jets. I receive such good money, we have such a good house, I'm not a bad person. For 10 years he came to church service, he couldn't understand, but I remember when he repented. He came to the front lifted his hands, I remember his words, he spoke like a soldier, “I give up.” A person who was in a military in aviation, he knew how to approach God, I give up, I'm crucified I died I no longer exist but if I live I live for God. I can never forget these moments, in one repentance my father he left behind adultery, immoral life, he left alcohol, he left everything behind, and what joy came into our family. For 10 years he justified himself, I'm a good man.

Now we're going to pray my dear friends, we have two days we have pastors if you need to speak to someone, if you need to pray with someone, we have prayer services, we're just starting our conference, in my first sermon the most important thing. The topic “give up before Christ” to Christ be the glory forever amen.