To be crucified with Christ means that God sees the believer's old Adam, or sin nature, as crucified with Christ on the cross.
God does not annihilate the old nature; He defeats it, placing it where it can be controlled (Clip 0). This becomes true when someone believes the gospel — God reckons the old Adam as dead with Christ (Clip 6), and the believer receives new life in Christ (Clip 2).
Romans 6:6 — Paul explicitly states that our old man is crucified with Christ.
Galatians 2:20 — Paul's personal testimony of being crucified with Christ while still living.
The Bible directly connects the believer's death to Christ's crucifixion. Romans 6:6 says, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Paul puts it personally in Galatians 2:20: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Romans 6:8 adds, "Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." And 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." These verses teach that crucifixion with Christ is a death that results in new life.
Les teaches that the 'old man' is the sin nature, the old Adam we are born with — the nature that Ephesians 2 describes as disobedient (Clip 0). When we believe the gospel, God sees that old Adam as on the cross with Christ. The word 'destroyed' does not mean annihilated; it means defeated, put in a place where we can now control him (Clip 0). This is entirely God's work. No one can crucify himself — you cannot drive nails into your own hands — so being crucified with Christ is something God accomplished on our behalf (Clips 3, 4). It happened the moment we believed; God reckoned old Adam dead and crucified (Clip 6). Paul's statement in Galatians 2:20 shows he was not literally nailed to a Roman cross, yet he was crucified in God's view, and now Christ lived in him as a new creation (Clip 2). Although old Adam is still present experientially, his power over our daily behavior has been broken (Clip 7). Since we died to old Adam, we are not to continue in sin (Clip 6). The life we now live in the flesh is to be lived by the faith/faithfulness of Christ, not by our own strength (Clip 7).
Les identifies 'our old man' in Romans 6:6 as the sin nature — 'the old Adam, that nature that we are born with.' He connects it to Ephesians 2, which describes people as 'by nature the children of wrath, even as others' (Ephesians 2:3). This is the old sin nature that was under the control of disobedience.
No. Les is emphatic: 'Now the word destroyed does not indicate an annihilation. He's not removed, but he is merely defeated. He is put in a place where we can now control him.' God sees the old Adam as on the cross, but experientially he remains — though his power over daily behavior has been broken (Clip 7).
Les argues that the reason the Lord chose crucifixion is that it is a death a man cannot accomplish on his own. 'You cannot drive the nails into your hands and put the pole up in the air... it had to be done by outside.' Therefore being crucified with Christ is 'totally, wholly, and completely a work of God on our behalf.'
At the moment a person believes the gospel. Les says, 'the moment we believed God reckoned him dead, crucified.' God does not first inspect our worthiness; all of these acts of God were done by Him alone (Clip 4). Once we understand the gospel and believe, God considers our old Adam as on the cross (Clip 0).
No. Paul's response is 'God forbid' (Romans 6:2). Les makes the same point: 'How shall we that are dead to old Adam live any longer therein?' Because the old sin nature has been put to death and we are dead to it, continuing in sin contradicts our position. The believer's life is totally changed (Clip 5).
Old Man Defined
Les identifies the old man as the sin nature and explains that when we believe the gospel, God sees our old Adam as crucified with Christ; 'destroyed' means defeated, not annihilated.
Dead but Alive
Les uses Galatians to show that a believer has been put to death in God's mind, yet is still alive — and the only proper response is a life of duty in light of what God has done.
Galatians 2:20 Explained
Les reads Galatians 2:20 and explains that Paul was not literally nailed to a Roman cross, yet was crucified; the result is new life — Christ living in him.
Cannot Crucify Yourself
Les stresses that no one can crucify himself — crucifixion must be done by someone else — so being crucified with Christ is wholly a work of God.
God's Reckoning
Les says God has 'reckoned us as crucified with Christ' as one of the acts of God, and that crucifixion means real death — the penalty for sin.
Death and New Life
Les notes that because we have died with Christ, we will also live with Him, and this truth totally changes our life.
Dead to Old Adam
Les connects being dead to old Adam to the moment of faith — God reckoned him dead and crucified — and uses it as the reason believers must not continue in sin.
Power Broken
Les explains that although old Adam is still in force experientially, his power over daily behavior is broken; the believer lives day to day by the faithfulness of Christ.
Galatians 2:20: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Paul's testimony of being crucified with Christ while still living the life of Christ.
Romans 6:6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
The core verse stating that our old man was crucified with Him.
Romans 6:8: Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Connects our death with Christ to future and present life with Him.
2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Shows the result of crucifixion with Christ: a new creation.
Ephesians 2:3: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Describes the old nature we were born with as children of wrath.
Romans 6:2: God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Paul's rhetorical response to the idea that grace allows continuing in sin.
Genesis 2:17: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
The original death penalty attached to sin, which crucifixion with Christ satisfies.
Ezekiel 18:4: Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Repeats the principle that the soul that sins must die.
The old man is the sin nature, the old Adam, that we are born with. It is the disobedient nature described in Ephesians 2:3. When we believe the gospel, God considers this old man crucified with Christ.
No. Les teaches that 'destroyed' does not mean annihilation. The old nature is not removed; it is defeated and put in a place where it can now be controlled, though it remains experientially.
The moment you believe the gospel. At that point God reckons your old Adam dead and crucified with Christ, even though Christ died 2,000 years ago.
No. Paul says 'God forbid' (Romans 6:2). Because you are dead to old Adam, you should no longer live in sin; the old nature's power over your behavior has been broken.