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\u00a0WHO HAVE YOU DIED WITH ?\u00a0<\/strong> Romans 6:8 (ESV)<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cNow if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2014because He was sinless (Hebrews 4:15)\u2014but for ours.<\/p>\n Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cBut 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.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n 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\u2014but in this suffering, He fulfilled the will of the Father (John 19:30).<\/p>\n Jesus also gave us a command that mirrors His own journey:<\/p>\n Mark 8:34 (ESV)<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cIf anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Let\u2019s reflect on these three spiritual principles:<\/p>\n To deny oneself is to renounce personal autonomy and submit fully to the will of Christ. It\u2019s not mere self-discipline\u2014it\u2019s self-surrender.<\/p>\n Galatians 2:20 (ESV)<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cI have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Following Christ means dying to sinful desires, selfish ambitions, and worldly attachments. It\u2019s choosing God\u2019s will over our own, every day.<\/p>\n In the first century, the cross was not a religious symbol\u2014it was an instrument of death. To carry your cross means to embrace suffering, shame, and sacrifice for the sake of the gospel.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t mean seeking hardship, but faithfully enduring it when it comes because of your allegiance to Christ.<\/p>\n 2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV)<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cIndeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n To follow Jesus is not a one-time decision\u2014it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n So, have you truly taken up your cross?<\/p>\n If you have not denied yourself, how can you say you’ve died with Christ?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n If you fear men more than God, can you truly be His disciple?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n If your career outweighs your calling, how can you claim to follow Him?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n If you\u2019re ashamed of Christ in public, how can you say you\u2019re crucified with Him?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n If your life remains unchanged\u2014still enslaved to sin\u2014how can you say you’ve died and been raised with Him?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n 1 John 2:6 (ESV)<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cWhoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Many have died with Judas\u2014in betrayal and despair\u2014but only a few have died with Christ\u2014in surrender and faith.<\/p>\n Luke 14:26\u201327, 33 (ESV)<\/strong> \u2013 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.<\/p>\n Only those who die with Christ will live with Him. This death is not merely symbolic\u2014it is a spiritual reality. When we believe in Christ, we are united with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection.<\/p>\n Romans 6:4\u20135 (ESV)<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Our union with Christ is the foundation of our salvation, sanctification, and future glorification.<\/p>\n Ask yourself:<\/p>\n Who have I died with?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n What cross have I borne?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Have I truly surrendered everything for Christ?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The true mark of dying with Christ is a cross-shaped life. Do you bear that mark?<\/p>\n Galatians 6:14 (ESV)<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cBut 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.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Maranatha\u2014Come, Lord\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
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.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
\nTHE NATURE OF CHRIST\u2019S DEATH<\/h3>\n
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\nTHREE ESSENTIAL ACTIONS OF A TRUE DISCIPLE<\/h3>\n
1. Deny Yourself<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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2. Take Up Your Cross<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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3. Follow Me<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nEXAMINING OUR CROSS<\/h3>\n
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\nCOUNTING THE COST<\/h3>\n
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\u201cIf 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\u2026 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\nUNION WITH CHRIST: DEATH AND RESURRECTION<\/h3>\n
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\nWHO HAVE YOU DIED WITH?<\/h3>\n
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