Abiding in Christ - Day 11 - The Crucified One

I have been crucified with Christ: it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. ~Galatians 2:20

We have been united together in the likeness of His death.  ~Romans 6:5

Andrew Murray explains in Chapter 11 how the Christian is crucified with Christ, planted together in the likeness of His death, as Romans 6:5 is rendered in the KJV.

Before you can understand the spiritual concepts, you must understand a bit about grafting.  Some plants, if grown from seed, end up with fruit that is unacceptable.  Apple trees purchased from a nursery, for example, have branches from a good tree that have been grafted in to the root stock, or stem of the plant.

Why Graft Plants?There are a number of reasons to graft. The most frequent is to reproduce a plant that has favorable characteristics. When grown from seeds most plants are not 'true', that is they do not produce an exact duplicate of the parent plant. This is because they are the result of pollination and will have differences in their genetic code. Plant an orange or apple seed and it might grow into a tree with tasty fruit. It also might grow into a tree with fruit whose taste is unacceptable. With grafting you can plant the same seed, and then, at the right time, cut the top off and attach a piece of a desirable orange or apple that grows into an exact copy of the desirable parent, complete with tasty fruit. 

God desires to reproduce His people with favourable characteristics - conformed to the image of His Son.  He wants them to grow into an exact copy of Him, bearing good spiritual fruit, for His glory.

Grafting is the joining together of two plant parts (scion and rootstock) in a manner that causes these parts to unite and become one plant.

No graft is possible without wounding.There are different types of grafts to be used in different situations, but each entails cutting the root stock and the scion and binding them together so they are immovable.

In the death of the cross, Christ was wounded, and in His open wounds a place was prepared where we might be grafted in. The scion is torn from its natural tree and cut to fit into the graft. In the same way, we are torn from our sinful nature and cut to fit into Jesus.

There is a fellowship between Christ's sufferings and your sufferings.

Abide in the wounds of Jesus; there is the place of union, life and growth. There you will see how His heart was opened to receive you; His flesh was torn so that the way might be opened for your being made one with Him, and having access to all the blessings flowing from His divine nature. ~p.69, Abiding in Christ by Andrew Murray

Regard the cross as an atonement to God - Jesus paid the price - and regard it as victory over the devil - Jesus conquered Satan!

Oh, Lord Jesus, I yield myself to You in undivided surrender. I know You plan my life and order my steps and design my sufferings so that You are most glorified, and I am most conformed to You, My Saviour. Lord, keep me grafted into You. Let me share in Your sufferings so I know You more. You were despised and rejected, disregarded by Your own brothers, misunderstood, unappreciated, persecuted, crucified. You deserved none of that. I know nothing of the depth of suffering that You experienced - and yet I deserve it all, and so much more.

Christ came and took my place, so I must put myself in His place, and abide there, at the cross.

How?

• entire surrender of all self-will 
• complete denial of every desire and pleasure of the flesh 
• perfect separation from the world's thinking and acting 
• losing one's life for Christ's sake; hating one's life for Christ's sake 
• giving up of self for the sake of others 

Lord, help me. I want Your will, Your way, Your heart, Your wisdom. I desire to be sanctified, holy, set apart for Your purposes, living coram deo, before the face of God, in full fellowship and intimacy. I want to die to self and to live as Your servant, Your slave - only an instrument in the Hand of God, to minister grace to others. Thank You for the cross. By Your wounds I am healed. By Your death I have life. Your love is vast beyond all measure.