WHO HAVE YOU DIED WITH ?

WHO HAVE YOU DIED WITH ?
Blessed be the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us open our hearts as we study the living and active Word of God.

Romans 6:8 (ESV) – “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.”

Before we can rightly claim that we have died with Christ, we must understand what kind of death He died and what it truly means to be united with Him in that death.

THE NATURE OF CHRIST’S DEATH

Jesus did not die of natural causes. His was a sacrificial, substitutionary death. He bore the wrath of God against sin, not for His own sins—because He was sinless (Hebrews 4:15)—but for ours.

Isaiah 53:5 (ESV) – “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

His death was public, painful, and purposeful. He carried His cross to Golgotha and was crucified between two criminals. He was mocked, scourged, and pierced—but in this suffering, He fulfilled the will of the Father (John 19:30).

Jesus also gave us a command that mirrors His own journey:

Mark 8:34 (ESV) – “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

THREE ESSENTIAL ACTIONS OF A TRUE DISCIPLE

Let’s reflect on these three spiritual principles:

1. Deny Yourself

To deny oneself is to renounce personal autonomy and submit fully to the will of Christ. It’s not mere self-discipline—it’s self-surrender.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV) – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…”

Following Christ means dying to sinful desires, selfish ambitions, and worldly attachments. It’s choosing God’s will over our own, every day.

2. Take Up Your Cross

In the first century, the cross was not a religious symbol—it was an instrument of death. To carry your cross means to embrace suffering, shame, and sacrifice for the sake of the gospel.

It doesn’t mean seeking hardship, but faithfully enduring it when it comes because of your allegiance to Christ.

2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV) – “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

3. Follow Me

To follow Jesus is not a one-time decision—it’s a lifelong journey. He leads us not only beside still waters (Psalm 23:2), but also into the wilderness, into rejection, and ultimately to the cross.

To follow Him is to walk in obedience, even unto death. For Christ, the path led to Golgotha. And for us, following Him may mean daily dying to self.

EXAMINING OUR CROSS

So, have you truly taken up your cross?

If you have not denied yourself, how can you say you’ve died with Christ?
If you fear men more than God, can you truly be His disciple?
If your career outweighs your calling, how can you claim to follow Him?
If you’re ashamed of Christ in public, how can you say you’re crucified with Him?
If your life remains unchanged—still enslaved to sin—how can you say you’ve died and been raised with Him?

1 John 2:6 (ESV) – “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

Many have died with Judas—in betrayal and despair—but only a few have died with Christ—in surrender and faith.

COUNTING THE COST

Luke 14:26–27, 33 (ESV) –
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple… So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

Jesus is not calling us to hate in the literal sense but to love Him so supremely that every other relationship and possession is secondary.

UNION WITH CHRIST: DEATH AND RESURRECTION

Only those who die with Christ will live with Him. This death is not merely symbolic—it is a spiritual reality. When we believe in Christ, we are united with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection.

Romans 6:4–5 (ESV) – “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

Our union with Christ is the foundation of our salvation, sanctification, and future glorification.

WHO HAVE YOU DIED WITH?

Ask yourself:

Who have I died with?
What cross have I borne?
Have I truly surrendered everything for Christ?

The true mark of dying with Christ is a cross-shaped life. Do you bear that mark?

Galatians 6:14 (ESV) – “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

Maranatha—Come, Lord

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