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1

THE BOOKLET

2

Friends of the Ministry,

It is with great honor and privilege that we are able to

share with you the booklet “My Identity In Christ.” The

content of this booklet was taken from one of my latest

books, my autobiography—”Why The Boy Cried Wolf.”

Indwelt Christians are a new creation. The born-again believer has been given

a regenerate spirit – that of Christ Jesus. The “old-self,” or “old nature,” has

been crucified with Christ and is to be considered dead and gone. Meaning and

purpose in life should now flow from this new identity. It is the believer’s role to

demonstrate the very Life of Christ through our mind, will, and emotions and

body. It is in and through our new identity that believers have a new intimacy,

indwelt obedience, dependence and love relationship with Christ from within.

If there is anything in which indwelt believers should praise God, it should be our

new-found identity in Christ. This booklet could be used to lead someone to

Christ for Salvation, or simply to lead them to the Cross for appropriation of

identification in Christ. Most believers wander around in Christianity - like the

children of God in the wilderness – not experiencing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in

and through them. When we walk after the flesh, it becomes our most critical

moment of understanding who we are in Him. Most of the time, it is a simple

case of the believer just not knowing the Truth—this booklet will reveal this.

Our Ministry Purpose Statement: To help members of the body of Christ to

experience, mature in, and communicate effectively the message of identifica-

tion with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension in their various

spheres of influence.

Our primary objective is to equip individuals for the purpose of building up the

Body of Christ and to assist in empowering men, women, children, and families

to have a greater impact on the communities they serve. This is accomplished

by making use of the experiential knowledge of each individual’s identity in

Christ by way of the indwelling mind and life of Jesus.

We press forward to show individuals worldwide their freedom from enslaving

mental, emotional, and spiritual conflicts by placing a special emphasis on

IDENTITY MATTERS.

It is my hope that you take the time to read through this booklet, read the daily

Scriptures recommended, and consider going through the full conference.

Within Christ,

Dr. Stephen R. Phinney

Note From The Author

Dr. Phinney’s Bio: click here

31

6:6; 10:13; 12:1; 1 Cor. 1:30; 6:13; 9:27; 2 Cor. 4:10; 5:17-2; Gal. 2:20; 5:1; Eph.

1:4, 6; 4:17-18; Phil. 4:6-7; Col. 1:13; 2:10; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12; 13:8; 1 John

5:13; Rev. 3:20.

*Pages 10-22 were written and carefully constructed by Dr. Phinney and Dr. Jim

Fowler. Dr. Fowler is a world known theologian on matters of Christ in the believer—

also a friend and mentor to Dr. Phinney.

The content of this booklet has been extracted from the book “Why The Boy

Cried Wolf, A Personal Journey Into The Exchanged Life,” by Dr. Ste-

phen Phinney

*You have permission to make copies of this booklet for classroom or educa-

tional use. It is also agreed that you will copy it in its entirety.

You can also find the following online: www.IOMAmerica.org

Identity Matters Conference

Educational Videos On Each of the Identity Matters

Message

Audio Messages On Each Message

A Workbook Containing Personal Studies On Each

Topic

Conference Bookings, call: 602-292-2982

FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN CENTRAL KANSAS:

You can attend a church fellowship, pastored by Dr. Phinney, that teaches these Iden-

tity Matters truths on a weekly basis.

HEARTLAND FAMILY FELLOWSHIP

111 N. Broadway

Sterling, KS 67579

602-292-2982

Each Sunday, 9:00—11:30 am

30

Colossians 4:2

1 Thess. 5:17

1 Timothy 2:1-3

James 1:5-6

James 5:16

1 John 3:22

IDENTITY

MATTERS

Day by Day

Once I began to appropriate my true identity in Christ, these

fears began to have less of a hold on my daily living. I had to

continue to make choices to listen to the voice of the Lord in

me and then choose to walk in what He says is true about me.

This is not a one-time occurrence but a daily reckoning myself

dead to my flesh and alive unto Christ Jesus.

ACTION STEPS:

1. Pray before you go any further with this action page.

2. Write out a statement about how your emotions determine

whether or not you are having a good day.

3. Write out a summary statement how your life experience

would change if you lived according to Christ’s Life within you.

Also, write out what He says is true about you vs. what your

flesh continues to say.

4. In your own words, answer these questions: What did you

learn about yourself, what does it mean to be “IN” Adam, what

did you learn about sin, are you a sinner or a saint, and what

does it mean to be “IN” Christ?

5. Re-write Galatians 2:20, replacing the “I” with your name.

6. Write a summary statement why what Christ says about you

will affect your soul and body.

7.Pray the “Self-Life Prayer” in the appendix section of this

workbook.

Study these verses: Prov. 3:7-8; John 5:24; 8:32; 10:28; Rom. 5:12;

3

4 Identity Really Does Matter

9 Christ Choosing You

10 The Power Of The Cross

12 The Cross Is Not A Religion

13 Be Careful With The Term—Co-crucifixion

14 Taking Up Your Cross

17 Symbolic Cross vs. The Real Cross

19 Rejecting The Mystical Cross

21 The Cross Is Empty

23 Christ Working Through You

24 Fear of God vs. Fear of Man

27 Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

28 Fear In The Author’s Life

30 It’s Your Choice

31 More Resources

Galatians 2:20

1 Corinthians 1:30

2 Corinthians 5:20

Ephesians 3:19

IDENTITY

MATTERS

Commit to

reading one

verse a day!

4

Colossians 1:27

IDENTITY

MATTERS

Day by Day Identity Really Does Matter

FINDING LIFE & MEANING IN THE SHEPHERD

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who

live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in

the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me

and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20 NASB)

Indwelt Christians are a new creation. The born-again be-

liever has been given a regenerate spirit – that of Christ

Jesus. The “old-self,” or “old nature,” has been crucified

with Christ and is to be considered dead and gone. Mean-

ing and purpose in life should now flow from this new iden-

tity. It is the believer’s role to demonstrate the very Life of

Christ through our mind, will, and emotions and body. It is

in and through our new identity that believers have a new

intimacy, indwelt obedience, dependence and love rela-

tionship with Christ from within.

If there is anything in which indwelt believers should praise

God, it should be our new-found identity in Christ. This

lesson could be used to lead someone to Christ for Salva-

tion, or simply to lead them to the Cross for appropriation

of identification in Christ. Most believers wander around in

Christianity - like the children of God in the wilderness –

not experiencing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in and through

them. When we walk after the flesh, it becomes our most

critical moment of understanding who we are in Him. Most

of the time, it is a simple case of the believer just not know-

ing the Truth.

Our old life is gone, but our condition does not always line

up with this truth. The believer seems to fall back on the

trash left behind by the “old nature” and thus, produces

fruit unto death. Meaning and purpose in life flow from

identity. By faith in Jesus Christ, God has transferred us

into Christ very life – eternal life. Our purpose is to demon-

IDENTITY

MATTERS

Day by Day

Colossians 3:3-4

1 Peter 2:9-10

1 Peter 1:4

1 John 3:24

1 John 4:17

29

The doctrines of identity within this message are critical for the indwelt believ-

er to embrace. Paul is actually telling us that he isn’t the one doing the things

that he hates, but sin that is housed in his mortal body (flesh). He is revealing

a clear understanding of his identity (who he really is), as well as the nature

of sin dwelling within his body. He is separating himself from his sin in the

most literal way possible. God has revealed to him that there is nothing good

in his flesh – trash left behind by the old nature. Even though it sounds like

Paul refuses to take responsibility for his choosing sin, he is actually confess-

ing one of the most profound Truths of identity – I am not my sin.

Needless to say, my life became a life of attempting to live up to the standard

of the Law (of God and man), confessing with my selfish behavior that the

Law was good - at least in the sense that the Law could be fulfilled through

self-effort. The big problem with that kind of “stinky thinking” is that the one

who breaks the Law has to be punished with the letter of the Law. This is

why “fear involves punishment” (1 John 4:18).

The law of sin (in our mortal bodies) constantly pushes up through the body

into our emotions, forces itself into our will, and ultimately, wages war against

the law of our mortal minds. By resisting the Holy Spirit (who resides in our

regenerated spirit), we thus agree that the law of sin has more power than

that of Christ within. This is why it is such a horrific sin to submit to the law of

sin and death over the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

To be able to say that the reality of two-thirds of our earthly triune is mastered

by sin, is actually the principle which leads us to being thankful to and

through Jesus Christ for understanding the identity war within the true believ-

er.

Once the hand of resistance goes up between the Spirit and the mind of man,

the human mind will default to inferiority, insecurity, inadequacy, guilt, wor-

ries, doubts, fears, which are quick to dump into the mortal body as “selfish

behavior.”

It is the believer’s choice to walk after the flesh or to live in their true identity

in Christ! Review the diagram ID-106 and notice the differences between the

soul and body walking after the flesh and the free flowing Life of Christ by

those who choose to walk in and after the Spirit. Walking after the flesh is

choosing to believe that our thoughts, feelings, and appearance define who

we are – behavior flows from identity. On the other hand, walking in and after

the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus is choosing to believe God’s indwelling Word

(Life of Christ) to direct the soul and body in living righteousness. Changes

need to take place in the mind and then, in the choosing. Then, they will af-

fect the body.

28

Colossians 4:2

1 Thess. 5:17

1 Timothy 2:1-3

James 1:5-6

James 5:16

1 John 3:22

IDENTITY

MATTERS

Day by Day

Christ is God, we can make a clear statement about 1 John

4:16:

It is now we can paraphrase this passage in this way:

We have come to know and have believed in Christ which God

has for us. Since God is love, and the one who abides in

Christ abides in God, and God, through Christ Jesus, abides in

him.

Let’s review John 15:5 regarding abiding in Christ:

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and

I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do

nothing. (Joh 15:5)

Putting the two passages together in a paraphrase we can see

this:

I am about the Father’s support (ampelos), you are the limb or

growth (klema) that comes forth from Me and that places Me in

you, because of this, you can bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit,

for apart from Me you can do nothing.

The answer for me was not to “accept the fact that I am loved

by God” but rather it is in accepting Christ, who is love, into my

mortal being - salvation. To many it is a “play on words” but to

me it is the difference between Life and selfishly endeavoring

to find “love.”

FEAR IN MY LIFE

The fear in my life would block Christ in me to live out His Life

through me and this resulted in “me being me through me.”

Even though I was a born-again indwelt Christian, Satan would

use these fears to form in me a covert rebellion that would cer-

tainly rise up against the mind of Christ in me. Thus I found

myself “doing the very thing I hate.” The simple fact is: when

we put our hand up in resistance (by not allowing the Spirit of

Life to renew our minds), we begin doing the things that we

“hate.” These things we do not want to do, are seeds of sin

leftover from the Adamic nature that was crucified with Christ

on the Cross.

“For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practic-

ing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the

Law, confessing that the Law is good” (Romans 7:15-16).

5

IDENTITY

MATTERS

Day by Day

1 John 5:20

Proverbs 12:5

Proverbs 23:7

Romans 8:6

Romans 12:2

2 Cor. 4:16—18

Jeff Brugman Family (Board Adviser)

strate, or live out, the very life of Christ by having an intimate,

obedient, dependent, love relationship with Him.

In this diagram, we explain the unsaved fallen nature of man

as a spiritual, psychological, physical being, and introduce the

significance of the formation of the self-life. Please note the

following:

1. Every person is born into sin through the Adamic nature –

fallen man.

2. All humans are born with a body, soul (mind, will, and

emotions) and a spirit.

3. Due to being born into sin, the spirit of man is dead

(detached) to God. We call this the un-regenerate man (the

spirit is not generated or empowered with life). Like a broken

generator that should power a building, man has no power

source to live life.

4. Every person IS a spirit, HAS a soul, and LIVES IN a body.

5. Meaning and purpose for life flows from the spirit of man –

dead or alive. This is how the self-life is formed.

6. God designed man to be born dead, in order that each hu-

man would seek to experience life and fulfilment from His

Son. [In the above illustration, Christ is on the outside of man.]

7. All humans will build their lives upon their identity. In this

case, it is the old nature – fallen man. The old nature is

6

owned and empowered by Satan. This is why unsaved peo-

ple go to Hell if Christ does not come to indwell them.

8. Fallen man has no other choice but to build and expand

their identity upon their dead state: seek gods, a darkened

mind, choices of sin, emotions damaged by their fallen state,

and attempts to find identity in how their body looks.

9. The primary place of identity formation is in the mind, will,

and emotions.

10. The person can associate with Christ and His teachings,

but until the spirit is generated by Christ indwelling him – it is

all for NOT.

Since meaning and purpose comes from our identity, it is

critical that we know who is at the driving force of our identity

– the enemy or Christ. If the man is unsaved as depicted in

the above diagram, we can expect nothing less that behavior

that support such an identity.

In the above diagram (ID-100), we learned about the model

of fallen man. The illustration in diagram ID-101 gives us

understanding as to how all persons became sinners –

through their descent from Adam. Sin travels through the

seed of man, NOT the blood. This why there was NO sin

found in Jesus’ mortal body, for He had been conceived

through the seed of God by way of the Holy Spirit. Man is

born with sin and in sin, due to the seed of Adam becoming

corrupt after The Fall. Therefore, all mankind is born dead

to God and alive to the enemy – Satan. This is why people

go to Hell if they don’t receive Christ. Note the following:

1. This line diagram can be used to lead others to Christ.

2. We are all born “IN” Adam and received his nature and

consequences.

3. The dash line next to the pathway line to Hell is illustra-

tive of our grandparents dating back to Adam – seed to

seed.

4. Being in Adam means: receiving spiritual death, receiving

his nature to sin, and having the identity of a sinner.

5. By birth, we are related spiritually and physically to Adam

and under the sentence of death spiritually, psychologically

and physically.

IDENTITY

MATTERS

Day by Day

Philippians 4:8

Colossians 3:10

1 Thess. 5:21

James 5:12

Joshua 24:15

1 Kings 18:21

27

emotionally freeze up when around people – that progressed well into my early

years of ministry. One time remembering being asked to give my testimony. I

told the pastor I would tell my story only if he put me behind a pulpit where the

audience couldn’t see my knees shaking and place a glass of water at the pulpit

for my dry mouth – a shame though, my hands were shaking too much to take a

sip of the water! Interesting note: that night my fear was interpreted as humility

and several youth came to know Christ (Rom. 8:28).

Since I did not understand the true meaning of love, fear began to punish me by

forming in me a belief that I had to pay for my own sins. Also, this is why I

searched to find “love” in all the wrong places.

The word “love” is one of those words the emergent Christian world has twisted

into being some kind of lukewarm catch all for acceptance but 1 John tells us

something completely different:

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God

is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

(1Jn 4:16)

Since to most accurate definition of “love” is “God,” we can now put the passage

of 1 John 4:18 this way:

There is no being forced into alarm or fright through terror in God, but the per-

fect God casts out phobias and terror of men and Satan, because terror in-

volves self-payment of sin, and the one who lives in terror is not perfected by

God in Christ Jesus.

One final connection I would like to make is – since “God is love” and Jesus

26

Colossians 4:2

1 Thess. 5:17

1 Timothy 2:1-3

James 1:5-6

James 5:16

1 John 3:22

IDENTITY

MATTERS

Day by Day

authority figure is formed.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, be-

cause fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not

perfected in love. (1Jn 4:18)

The Greek word for fear in this passage is “phobos,” which is

where we get the English word “phobia.” The primary defini-

tion of this word is “to force one into alarm or fright by use of

terror.” The word “punishment” is “kolasis,” which is to “inflict

torment or to force self-payment for one’s own sin.”

This kind of fear (phobos) was embedded in my life growing

up. My mother spoiled me due to the dynamics of being a

“bubble boy.” The only kind of discipline I remember from her

was when she was upset and that was usually in the form of

the back of her hand. Most likely due to her lack of Godly

training and her abuse from her father, she was unable to de-

velop in her children a proper fear (reverence) for authority.

Adding to that, my father spent most of their marriage physical-

ly abusing her, which obviously resulted in a lack of respect for

the role of a father and husband. My poor mother was

doomed to form “phobos” into her children. As for me, the

consequences of this was a deep seeded struggle with terror,

of man and God.

This fear became so intense that I spent the majority of my

childhood suffering all types of fear, which resulted in what the

world classifies as anxiety attacks – the fear of having a fear

reaction. This fear caused me to stutter, tremble and mentally/

7

IDENTITY

MATTERS

Day by Day

Matt. 7:13-14

Matt. 26:41

Acts 4:19

Romans 6:16

Romans 6:1-6

Galatians 5:16

6. All are on their way to Hell and go past eternal life (Life of

Christ), unless they are transferred over into the Life of Christ

through Salvation.

If it wasn’t for the pastor on the day of my salvation making it

clear to me the condition of my fallen state in Adam – I would

never have come to embrace my need for the exchanged life

– my life for His. All the identity stuff I was warring with; feel-

ing stupid, retarded and any other Adamic label that I was

carrying around, was actually true about my fallen state.

These identity statements came not from my family and

school mates, but from my Natural Man. They may have

been empowered by those around me but Truth being said,

God needed these identity labels to lead me to a new identity

in His Son.

Everything that was true about the fallen state of Adam was

true about me – plain and simple. I was on my way to Hell

because of these realities. I was in need of a new life, a life

that could only come by being transferred out of Adam’s life

into Christ’s Life – even this could only come by His choice

and not mine.

Did you know that people do NOT choose Christ, but rather

Christ chooses them (John 15:16). This is an impossible

thought to embrace without the power of the Holy Spirit re-

vealing it to the person. As stated before, all are born in Ad-

am and doomed to Hell. In the illustration coming up (ID-102),

we see that the pathway is interrupted by Christ introducing

Himself to the candidate of being a bridal member of Christ.

8

Colossians 1:13-14 tells us: “For He rescued us from the do-

main of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His

beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness

of sins.” This action of being transferred is the greatest act of

exchange in all eternity. We are not only put in the Life of

Christ, but He puts our Adamic nature to death through His

crucifixion with Him – that we share in being crucified with

Him (Gal. 2:20). Once the transference is complete (born-

again), we are given a brand new past, present, and future -

that of Jesus’ past, present, and future. This is why it is pos-

sible and a reality to be crucified, buried, resurrected, and

raised with Him.

Note the following:

1. Christ chooses us, but we respond to His touch.

2. Christ’s Life and heritage is the believer’s by spiritual re-

birth (1 Cor. 15:22).

3. Jesus did not come to make bad people good, but to

make dead people alive.

4. Christ’s Life is eternal and never changes - past, present,

and future (Heb. 13:8).

5. The chosen believer is actually removed from being “in

Adam” and placed “into Christ” for eternity – the key word is

“transferred.”

6. In the Greek, the word “transferred” emphasizes removal

– permanently taken out. God removed us from Adam and

graft us into Christ’s very life.

7. Once transferred from Adam into Christ, “Everything is

new about the believer.”

8. The only thing that carries over with our bodies is the sin,

or trash - the Adamic heritage left behind. That, too, will be

renewed upon our physical death.

9. The flesh (trash left behind) resides in our mortal bodies,

but God has use for it. By choosing righteousness from with-

in, against the desires of the flesh, the believer experiences

the power of the Cross (Phil. 2:12).

10. The believer’s eternal life began when he was graft into

Christ’s Life. Being born-again IN Christ means: receiving

Galatians 6:7-8

Philippians 4:8

Colossians 3:2

1 Timothy 6:11

James 1:6-8

2 Corinthians 5:21

IDENTITY

MATTERS

Day by Day

25

John 14:13-14

John 15:7

John 16:23-24

Eph. 1:15-16

Eph. 6:18

Philippians 1:9-11

IDENTITY

MATTERS

Day by Day

fear that leads us to the knowledge of God and a fear that leads

us into the likeness of Satan. Allow me to explain.

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments

of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. (Psa 19:9)

The word fear in the Old Testament is used in three separate

ways “aymah” (what happens when there is no mother),

“yara” (the hand you see, reverence) and “arats” (hook clearly

seen). When you combine the meanings of these three defini-

tions, you have the following:

The hook in the man is clearly seen when he is not disciplined

and shown reverence of authority by the hand of his mother

because she cannot be found.

In studying the topic of “fear” it is easy to see from the Hebrew

that both types of fear are firmly implanted in the child through

the mother – not the father. All three Hebrew words are femi-

nine derivatives. It was customary in the Hebrew culture for the

mother to build into the child a proper fear of their father and

God himself. Most cultures have twisted this original premise

into a teaching that fear comes from the directives of the father.

Women are given the same responsibilities in family life that the

Holy Spirit has been given in the believer – one being, forming

fear in the child of the father. When the mother is not present

or she refuses to instruct the child effectively, the child inherits

the second kind of fear – being hooked by the man. This clear-

ly sets the child up for the “dread” (Strong’s # 6202) of authority

figures. Because of this dread, the fear of punishment from an

24

1 John 3:18

1 John 5:2

1 Sam. 12:23

Matt. 7:8

Matt. 21:22

Mark 11:22-25

IDENTITY

MATTERS

Day by Day

renewal of MIND that Christ provides, as He flows from the

Spirit and into the human mind. Once that happens, the WILL

then chooses to process the thoughts of Christ as Truth. Since

the EMOTIONS always support what the will decides, excite-

ment of renewal flows into the BODY. This is how we get

Christ as Life behavior.

All the things God says are true about us, and come from the

Life and mind of Christ from within. Unless we use our mind,

will, and emotions to “allow” or release the Spirit, we end up

living off of our own thoughts, choosing our own way, having

defiled emotions, and fulfilling the desires that are embedded

in our body. What Paul said to the Romans (in chapter 7), left

them with a deep understanding and clarity about what is really

going on within us when we do things we really don’t want to

do.

“For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practic-

ing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the

Law, confessing that the Law is good” (Romans 7:15-16).

FEAR OF GOD VS. THE FEAR OF MAN:

One of my greatest struggles throughout my childhood that

carried over into my walk as an indwelt believer is being in

bondage to not only to fear but fear itself. I certainly under-

stand how this stronghold could reside in my childhood but

how, and why, did it carry over into my life as a believer?

I have done enough Biblical study on the topic of fear to know

that God has built into our human frailty two kinds of fear – a

9

Hebrews 12:15

Prov. 6:30-31

Ezekiel 33:14-16

Matthew 5:23-26

Matthew 6:14-15

Matthew 18:21-22

IDENTITY

MATTERS

Day by Day

the Holy Spirit (His Life), being sanctified by His Life, and

functioning in and through the identity of Jesus.

These precise truths were not shown to me that day I re-

ceived Christ as my savior. For some reason, I did not make

the connection that I was completely taken out of Adam’s life

and placed in Christ’s Life. I continued to function as if the

two lives were somehow miraculously blended into one life –

a theological blunder many new converts suffer under. It is

because of this deception that a new convert blends the

identities of both the old and new Natures into one identity.

Diagram ID-103 further explains the position of the believer’s

identity in Christ. As depicted, the Romans 6:6 passage

speaks of the “old self” being crucified with Jesus. The dia-

gram goes on to reveal that the indwelt believer is buried

and raised with Him. The most significant principle being

revealed here is the believer’s position – seated at the right

hand of God in Christ. When behavior comes from position

and not condition, victory is sure to be experienced. There

are three ways converts can view life: “hanging on the

Cross” (poor me), sitting in the tomb (darkness and despair),

and seated at the right hand of God (seeing all of life from

God’s perspective). Many teach this passage as if it is

something to come, once we go to Heaven. The Truth being

said: it is a position the indwelt believer is given upon the

moment of Salvation.

10

For a believer to be able to know the reality of position in

Christ, each believer would then be able to adopt their

new past, present and future in Christ.

UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF THE CROSS

The death of Jesus Christ on a cross is an important truth

of the Christian gospel. In fact, it is crucial to the gospel,

the crux of the message, if we might employ additional

English words derived from the Latin word crux, from

which we also derive the English word "cross."

In His death on the cross Jesus was taking the death con-

sequence of sin for all mankind. Here is why…

This He could do in that He was the sinless Savior enact-

ing a consequential spiritual commonality with the whole

human race to provide LIFE. The first man, Adam, had

enacted a far-reaching spiritual disarray, when by his sin

all men died spiritually (Rom. 5:12), were constituted

"sinners" spiritually (Rom. 5:19), and were condemned

(Rom. 5:18) to everlasting death.

God had originally told Adam in the Garden, "In the day

that thou eat from it - the tree of the knowledge of good

and evil - "you will surely die" (Gen. 2:17). The conse-

quence of sin was death in its various spiritual (separated

from God), psychological (effects on man) and physical

forms (body would die daily).

Mark 11:25-26

Luke 7:47

Romans 12:17

2 Cor. 5:18-20

Galatians 6:1-2

Ephesians 4:32

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23

finished!" (John 19:30).

And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superi-

ority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony

of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except

Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness

and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my

preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in

demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith

would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of

God. Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature;

a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this

age, who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a

mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before

the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of

this age has understood; for if they had understood it they

would not have crucified the Lord of glory; (1Co 2:1-8)

The indwelt is who He says He is in and through the believer!

The individual who is NOT indwelt by Him will not only fall

short in understanding this mystery but will consider it foolish-

ness.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of

God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot under-

stand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he

who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is ap-

praised by no one. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF

THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have

the mind of Christ. (1Co 2:14-16)

CHRIST WORKING THROUGH YOU

Our next diagram has become the clearest and most used in

explaining what it looks like to walk in and after the Holy Spir-

it. It all starts with Christ placing Himself at the very core of

the believer. Our Lord purified, redeemed, and perfected one

third (1/3) of our being. Jesus, through representation of the

Holy Spirit, is able to live and function in righteousness in and

through the believer. Walking after the flesh is choosing to

believe that our thoughts, feelings, and appearance define

who we are.

In our next diagram, ID-105, we will see the details of a be-

liever walking after their flesh. We will discover it truly is pos-

sible to walk after and in the Spirit, by choosing to believe the

1 Thess. 2:8

1 Tim. 1:5

James 4:17

1 Peter 1:22

1 Peter 4:8

1 John 2:5

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22

God" (1 Cor. 1:18). The "good news" of the gospel is not the

"power of the cross," but the "power of God,“ demonstrated

on and through the Cross, as Paul also wrote in Romans

1:16.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God

for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and

also to the Greek. (Rom 1:16)

What really does it mean to be ashamed of the gospel? If

one is ashamed of the Gospel, what does that communicate

about the power of God?

What does “self-effort grace” look like?

Anything, other than recognition of God's power of grace in

the "finished work" of Jesus Christ, will inevitably be some

kind of self-effort that makes void the cross of Christ (1 Cor.

1:17). Paul continues in his correspondence with the Corinthi-

ans to declare that "we preach Christ crucified" (1 Cor. 1:23),

and are "determined to know nothing among you except Je-

sus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). Later, to the Gala-

tians, he explains that he will boast in nothing "except in the

cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14, NKJV).

Boast in this - proclaim only that Jesus Christ had performed

everything necessary for our redemption on the cross and

continues to perform everything necessary in the indwelt

Christian life by His grace. Whenever we read of the "cross"

or "Christ crucified," we should always think of the "finished

work" of Christ, the completion of which He exclaimed during

that historical event on that material cross. That is the good

news of the Gospel.

The proclamation of the "finished work" of God in Christ,

whereby God has done and is doing everything necessary for

man's salvation, including sanctification, will always be re-

garded as a mystery, or theory, by natural man – the un-

saved. It is contrary to all the conventional wisdom of the

world, which believes that we must be the cause of our own

effects (existentialism) and that which is worth having should

be worked for. Proclaiming the "finished work" of God in

Christ deals a "deathblow" to the human pride of personal

performance. That "deathblow" was dealt when Jesus died on

the cross and exclaimed just prior to His imminent death, "It is

John 15: 10, 13

Romans 13:8, 10

1 Cor. 13:4-8a

Galatians 6:10

Eph. 4:1-3

Eph. 5:9

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11

Prov. 5:18-19

1 Cor. 13:4-8a

Eph. 4:31-32

Eph. 5:21-28

Phil. 2:3-4

Phil. 4:13

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Jesus, the Son of God, was incarnated as the God-man; who,

as man, could experience the death consequences of sin; who,

as sinless man, could take those death consequences and pay

the cost of sin for all man; and who, as God, could restore

heavenly life to man spiritually, in order to restore man to the

Father.

As a man, Jesus incurred all the death consequences that had

occurred in Adam. As a sinless man, sin & death had no right

to Him personally and could not hold Him. As God, He could

thus save us from the consequences of sin and further expres-

sion of sin by becoming LIFE WITHIN US.

Jesus came “to give His life a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28).

Jesus "came that we might have life" (John 10:10). The death

of Jesus on a cross is the corrective action modelled in order to

restore God's indwelling life, through Christ, in man. The coun-

teractive purpose of death and the restorative purpose of life

are inseparable in the consideration of the Biblical significance

of the death of Jesus Christ on a cross.

While still suspended from the cross and facing imminent phys-

ical death, Jesus exclaimed, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). The

perfect tense is used, indicating completed action in the past;

manifesting in the present & remains unto the future. In He-

brew, the meaning is, fulfilled requirements of debt. In the first

century, Jesus’s words were inscribed on certificates of indebt-

edness when they were paid-off or paid in full. This is edifying

when we consider Paul's comment in Col. 2:14 about the

"certificate of debt" having been taken out of the way, having

been "nailed to the cross."

Sin presented an indebtedness of condemnation; the Law pre-

sented an impossible DEBT, a big "IOU" before God. In and

through Christ, this debt was paid in full, thus removing con-

demnation, self-life performance – leaving only REST in the

“finished work" of Jesus Christ.

Redemption, whereby we are "bought with a price" (1 Cor.

6:20; 7:23) that has been "paid in full" by the death of Jesus, is

the corrective aspect. Whereas, regeneration is the restorative

factor, wherein the life of God once again indwells man through

His Son’s own Spirit.

Because of the CROSS, and His "finished work," all converted

12

(born-again) believers share in His death, burial, resurrection,

ascension, the Spirit’s outpouring, and complete end-times

expectations.

Due to the significant work Christ accomplished on the

CROSS, all verbiage used by the writers of the New Testa-

ment maintain the words Jesus cried out from the cross, "It is

finished!", and the consequent restoration of God unifying

man unto Himself by placing His Spirit in all those who be-

come saved.

The stumbling block, the scandal, the offense of the cross is

that Jesus finished doing everything, which needed to be

done before God. There is nothing we can do! This is

"offensive" to the natural/unsaved man who wants to take

some credit, who wants to think there is some merit in what

he has done, who wants to be accredited for his part of the

finished work of the Cross! There is no basis for any human

pride in performance when we simply receive by faith what

Christ did & does. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross and

the subsequent availability of the divine life to all mankind,

comprises the "finished work" - the sole basis of right relation-

ship and fellowship with God.

THE CROSS IS NOT A RELIGION OR MANTRA

Religion and all its "works" programs have been exposed as

frauds by the "finished work" of Christ. Consequently, they are

quick to belittle and persecute those who teach and live by the

grace-work of God in Christ.

Paul explains that the religious "try to compel you to be cir-

cumcised, simply so that they may not be persecuted for the

cross of Christ" (Gal. 6:12). They do not want to be persecut-

ed and mocked by other religious people for preaching the

grace of God in the activity of Jesus Christ alone.

Paul then declares, "May it never be that I would boast, ex-

cept in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14). Paul

never wants to boast in what he has done by self-effort or per-

formance, only in what Christ has done and continues to do --

the "finished work."

Christ's "finished work" reconciles both Jew and Gentile into

one new creation, new humanity, new body, "through the

cross" (Eph. 2:16). The corrective action of Christ's death and

Colossians 3:13

Colossians 3:19

James 4:11

1 Peter 3:7-9

1 Cor. 4:14-17

1 Cor. 11:1

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21

Malachi 3:16-17

Matt. 18:19-20

Heb. 10:23-25

Rev. 19:5-6

1 John 5:2

Psalm 31:19

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attributed with the fundamental power to work in “Christian”

lives in order to enact a continuing crucifixion and create

"spirituality“ through the act of man bring the cross into daily

dying.

In exposing the unbiblical mystic applications of the cross, we

must not overreact by failing to proclaim the eternal VALUE of

Christ's death on the cross and all the implications it offers.

The death of Jesus on the cross is indeed a central factor in

the whole redemptive and restorative action of God's grace.

By His death, Jesus took our deserved death, in order that we

might have His life. He did not take our death that we might

have His death.

The message of the cross is the message of the completed,

finished work of God in Christ. The message of the cross is

the message of an empty cross, whereupon all crucifixion

activity has ceased, for Jesus Christ has risen from the dead

and come to live within the indwelt Christian. The message of

the cross is the message of liberating freedom to be all that

God intends us to be by His grace in the out-living of His

character within the frail human temperamental soul of man.

The Empty Cross is the only "good news" available to man-

kind -- the grace (unearned favor) of God in the person and

work of Jesus Christ. Paul refers to "preaching the gospel" in

1 Cor. 1:17; and then in the next verse, refers to the content

of that gospel as "the word of the cross," which he continues

to explain is "to us who are being saved it is the power of

20

phasis on crucifixion is that they tend to lead the Body of

Christ astray. They are preoccupied with "self," instead of

Christ in the believer; preoccupied with getting rid of sin, in-

stead of the Savior who became sin on their behalf; preoccu-

pied with death, instead of His inward Life; preoccupied with

the cross, instead of the finished work of the Cross of Christ.

As a result, they are inventing a new form of works-oriented

Grace that involves the proactive work of suppressing self,

which by the way, leads to “gracialistic confession-ism" of

sin. They do not understand the "finished work" of Jesus

Christ and the Grace provision of God provided by placing

His Son in His Bride.

People of the Cross tend to act like elitist, which is cultic

thinking. Often times culturing attitudes of exclusivism,

wherein they regard themselves as more "spiritual," more

"mature," God's special people, the "remnant" of God's true

followers. The spiritual pride underlying such attitudes is evi-

dent in many teachers of the Cross. All indwelt believers are

God’s people, whether they understand Christ as Life or not!

Referring often to the "deeper Christian life" and the

"victorious Christian life," some of the writers indicate that

the Christian can arrive at a level of Christian experience

where he/she no longer sins – also called “sinless perfec-

tion.”

All of this mounting to the ideological symbol of the cross

becoming a mystical object that allegedly serves as an agent

of God. With these “believers,” the cross is personified and

Psalm 35:18

Psalm 40:16

Psalm 66:8

Psalm 107:31-32

Psalm 148:1-2

1 Kings 18:21

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13

Ephesians 5:1

1 Thess. 1:6

Philippians 3:17

Philippians 4:9

Genesis 18:19

Duet. 6:1-3, 6-7

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the restorative action of Christ's life is for all men universally

who respond to His election, and is the means whereby they

are restored to functional humanity, society, and community,

by the functional life of God, through Christ, in man.

Likewise, "all things" are reconciled to God, by His "having

made peace through the blood of His (Christ’s) cross" (Col.

1:20). The hostility of the whole creation was due to sin, the

consequence of sin was death, and death has been taken by

Jesus Christ. Reconciliation, peace, the restoration of all

things, the restoration of the elected man has been effected by

the "finished work" of Jesus.

Paul decries that there are many who "are enemies of the

cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18). Who are these enemies of the

Cross, the many there are who do not understand and live on

the basis of the "finished work" of Christ. They do not accept

that Christ has done all that needs doing and continues to be

the dynamic of grace for the expression of His life and charac-

ter in the Indwelt Christian. These "enemies of the cross" still

advocate legalistic "works" of self-effort, perfectionist perfor-

mance, and religiousness.

The theological significance of the cross must be understood

within the context of the "finished work" of God in Christ.

Though the cross itself was but the death instrument; it was

there that Jesus victoriously proclaimed, "It is finished!" The

creativeness action of replacement death leads directly to the

restorative action of God's life in the Indwelt Christian. Christ

took our death to give us His life, took the consequences of our

unrighteousness to give us His righteousness. The "finished

work" of Jesus Christ is inclusive of redemption, regeneration,

justification, sanctification, and glorification.

BE CAREFUL WITH THE TERM CO-CRUIFIXTION

The Greek word, sustauroõ, which means "to crucify together

with." This has often been referred to as the Christian's "co-

crucifixion" with Jesus. It is best to avoid such terminology, as

the English prefix "co-" can mean "jointly" or "together with."

But it also can mean "equally," "in the same degree," or "as a

complement to."

We would not want to imply that our subjective crucifixion ex-

perience is of equal significance or in the same degree as the

crucifixion of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Nor would we want to im-

14

Psalm 127:3-5

Prov. 1:8

Prov. 3:1-2

Prov. 4:1-4

Prov. 12:1

Prov. 13:1

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ply that our experience of being crucified is a complement to

Christ's crucifixion, in order to complete it. Jesus said, "It is

finished" (John 19:31) completed!

Our having been "crucified together with" Jesus must be un-

derstood in terms of spiritual solidarity. When Jesus died on

the cross, He died there for me, but He also died there as me.

When He died, I died. I was "in Him" when He died. The entire

human race was represented by Jesus when He took the

death consequences for sin upon Himself, but that spiritual

solidarity becomes personally and subjectively effective for me

when I receive Jesus Christ by faith. The verb is an aorist

tense indicating that "to have been crucified with Him" was a

definite occurrence historically enacted when Jesus died on

the cross, and which becomes experientially effective at the

definite occasion of our spiritual conversion.

Paul writes that our "old man" has been crucified together with

Christ. The designation "old man" signifies our spiritual identity

when we were a "man of old" in our old spiritual condition of

un-regeneracy & identity. Our pre-indwelt identity was that of a

"natural man" (1 Cor. 2:14), a "child of wrath" (Eph. 2:3), an

"old man." That "old man" identity was "laid aside" (Eph. 4:22;

Col. 3:9 [both NKJV], when we became indwelt by Christ and

received HIM as the "new man,“ with HIS identity (Eph. 4:24;

Col. 3:10, both NKJV). The old spiritual identity of the unre-

generate self is forever dead, having died with Jesus. I now

have a new spiritual identity as a "new creature" (2 Cor. 5:17)

in Christ, a "child of God" (John 1:12), a Bridal member of Je-

sus, a "spiritual" man (1 Cor. 2:15; Gal. 6:1), a Christ-one -

“Indwelt Christian."

This was made effective for me, in me, spiritually - when I re-

ceived Jesus Christ by faith at conversion and regeneration.

The "old man" is not synonymous with the "flesh" nor

"indwelling sin" that remains residually in the soul of the in-

dwelt Christian, nor is it to be equated with the unbiblical

phrases such as "old nature," "sin nature," "Adam nature,"

"self," "sin principle," etc. – sin and identity are different.

TAKING UP YOUR CROSS

Jesus spoke of "taking up," "bearing," or "carrying" a cross.

We have noted that the first century Jews of Palestine were

well acquainted with death by crucifixion on crosses, so there

19

1 John 2:5-6

2 John 9

Neh. 8:5, 18

Neh. 9:3

Psalm 22:22

Psalm 33:1-3

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For many centuries, the ideas of the cross

and the action of Christ's crucifixion have

been considered as if they were an ongo-

ing living reality. The concept of the cross

has been energized, empowered, personi-

fied, and deified.

Ultimately symbols will be used to united

religions around the world to form a false sense of peace that

will usher in the antichrist to rule the entire world and its belief

systems.

REJECTING THE MYSTICAL ILLUSIONS OF THE CROSS

Every reference to the "cross" and "crucifixion" in the entirety of

the New Testament is applicable to one of the five categories:

(1) the material object of the cross (2) the historical event of

Christ's crucifixion on the cross (3) the theological significance

of Christ's crucifixion on the cross (4) the Body of Christ's spir-

itual identification with Christ's crucifixion (5) the figurative us-

age of "taking up a cross."

There are no Scriptures whatsoever to justify the mystical ap-

plication of the cross of Jesus in an ongoing crucifixion experi-

ence. The continued crucifying activity advocated by these

predominantly Protestant authors is little different than the con-

tinued crucifying activity which Roman Catholicism claims as

transpiring in their Eucharistic (communion) mass.

Christian theology is based on the Grace activity of God, not

upon the "works" and effort of the self-life of man. Within the

indwelt Christian life, God's continuing activity is not reliant on

our activity or refusal of sin. We do not effect Christian living by

engaging in any particular activity, specifically self-crucifixion.

The Christian life is not a matter of "doing our best so God can

do the rest," doing our part so God can do His part.

Repetitive demands that the indwelt Christian should "die to

self," "apply the cross," surrender and "be broken," all reveal a

self-effort approach to a formulized (ruled-based) “Christian”

life, which is a theology of "works" sanctification. Particularly

rampant is the admonition to "reckon" oneself dead, so God

can work. We simply need to walk in what is already true &

that is done through the COMPLETED WORK OF CHRIST.

The focus of many Exchanged Life teachers who put an em-

18

off evil, a practice which was condemned by true Christians.

The cross, as a symbol, was further entrenched as the primary

symbol of Christian religion after the Roman emperor, Con-

stantine ( a devout Roman Catholic), claimed to have seen a

flaming cross of light in the sky with the words, "By this sign

conquer" (quoted in the 4th century work - Ecclesiastical Histo-

ry of Eusebius). From this sign he began the greatest slaughter

in Christian history by systematically removing all “Protestants”

of the Roman Catholic Church (indwelt Christians) – the

slaughter lasted 200 years. It is this act that further drove the

“protesting” Christians into the Catacombs.

Over all, Constantine thus merged Christian religion with his

political aspirations, using the symbol of the cross – the Roman

State Church took this as permission based symbolism. Con-

stantine's mother, Helena – a Roman State Church devotee, is

alleged to have travelled to Palestine in AD 325 and claimed to

have discovered the original wooden cross on which Jesus

was crucified. The criteria for the claim was that a sick person

had grasped the wood and was allegedly healed. Small frag-

ments were transported back to Rome and sold to wealthy be-

lievers as priceless relics. There were not enough to supply the

demand, so the Catholic Church claimed "the miracle of the

multiplication of the cross" whereby, many more splinters from

the cross were allegedly formed. It is reported that wood frag-

ments existed in Roman Catholic churches around the world

sufficient to construct many crosses. Helena is considered the

founder & “mother of indulgences.”

The problem with symbols is that since they are more tangible

than the abstract reality, religious people tend gradually to su-

perstitiously worship the symbol and lose sight of the reality on

which it is based. This, of course, is the essence of idolatry.

Symbols become charms, magical charms, “holy” hardware.

They are used as fetishes (demonic empowered objects) - be-

lieved to have magical power to aid or protect when rubbed,

worn, or otherwise utilized. Symbols can also become concep-

tual fetishes - mental objects of irrational reverence and obses-

sive devotion. All sects of “Christians” bearing the Cross on T-

shirts, jewelry or other forms of display come from the Roman

State Church’s superstitions and magical idolatry imbedded in

the symbol of the Cross.

Psalm 119:12-16

Micah 6:8

John 4:23-24

John 15:9-10

Romans 12:1-2

Colossians 3:1-3

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Prov. 13:24

Prov. 19:18-19

1 Timothy 3:4

James 1:22-25

1 Sam. 12:14-15

1 Sam. 15:23

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is no reference in Jesus' prior comments about a "cross" unless

we are reading into those comments reference to Jesus' own

experience of crucifixion, which was yet to transpire. There is

no doubt that the death of Jesus Christ on a cross was

"foreknown before the foundation of the world" (1 Peter 1:20;

cf. Rev. 13:8). But it occurred historically in the first century,

and that historical crucifixion was subsequent to the three oc-

casions when Jesus spoke generally of "taking up a cross."

The effects of the crucifixion of Jesus were a completed God

sized reality at the time of Jesus' death, burial, resurrection,

ascension, and outpouring of the Holy Spirit into the believers

at Pentecost, and were personally realized individually at the

indwelt Christian's conversion. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a

new creature, the old things passed away; behold, new things

have come" (2 Cor. 5:17). Every indwelt Christian is called to

accept the spiritual harmony with all that Christ has done, and

spiritual identification with the death and life of Christ.

The following are Paul’s references to our death with Christ,

which connect our personal identification with Christ's objective

death by crucifixion, all imply definite completed actions.

For example:

Rom. 6:6 - "our old man was crucified with Him (Christ)"

Rom. 6:7 - "he who has died has been freed from sin"

Rom. 7:4 - "you were made to die to the Law"

Rom. 7:6 - "having died to that by which we were bound"

Gal. 2:19 - "I died to the Law, so that I might live to God"

Gal. 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ"

Gal. 5:24 - "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified

the flesh"

Gal. 6:14 - "the world has been crucified to me, and I to the

world"

Col. 3:3 - "you have died and your life is hidden with Christ"

Our spiritual identification with the crucifixion of Jesus does not

have behavioral implications unless there is a release of the

Spirit. Not in a continuing application of Christ's dying, as is

found in Catholicism; rather, only as a consequence of the spir-

itual identification and participation in the "finished work" of

16

Christ. There will not be behavioral implications until the life of

Jesus Christ is lived out in the Christian.

Having been crucified with Christ, we should "no longer be

slaves to sin" (Rom. 6:6), but "live with Him (Christ)" (Rom.

6:8), "bear fruit for God" (Rom. 7:4), "serve in newness of the

Spirit" (Rom. 7:6), be "led by the Spirit" (Rom. 8:14), "live by

faith in the Son of God" (Gal. 2:20), and "walk by the Spir-

it" (Gal. 5:25) in the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22-23). On the

basis of having exchanged our "old man" identification for a

"new man" identification, there will be behavioral implications of

"righteousness and holiness" (Eph. 4:24) with numerous practi-

cal expressions (Eph. 4:25-5:21; Col. 3:12-17).

On three different occasions, Jesus made comments about the

familiar action of bearing a cross unto crucifixion. The object of

a cross, to which He refers, does not have any reference to the

particular cross that stood on Golgotha; nor to the historical

event of Christ's crucifixion. Jesus makes a generic and figura-

tive reference to "a cross," to the action of cross-bearing –

bearing your daily burdens that come with the indwelt Christian

walk. This is not to be mixed with “being crucified with Christ.”

When Jesus said, "If any man will to come after Me, let him

deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke

9:23, KJV), He was referring to a cross as a well-known instru-

ment of death, an execution device that will objectively kill off

the “self-life” of the believer. Jesus demands that those who

follow Him voluntarily allow a death instrument (life’s circum-

stances) to be applied to their selfish tendencies, in order to:

execute, terminate, bring to an end, and allow for the absence

of selfish behavior. This must be done continuously, "daily," in

the midst of every situation we confront.

The next question we must ask is whether this commanded

action constitutes a call for the indwelt Christian to "die to self."

"Dying to self," "crucifying self," "putting self to death," etc. are

all non-biblical phrases, which are commonly used in the termi-

nology of many exchanged life teachers and writers. If, by the

phrase "dying to self," they simply meant a choice synonymous

with "denying oneself," then the wordage might have appropri-

ate usage.

Here is the key, the phrase is often loaded down with other

Psalm 107:11-12

Ezekiel 2:8

2 Cor. 6:16

2 Cor. 10:3-5

Deut. 26:10

1 Chron. 16:29

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17

Psalm 15:1-5

Psalm 27:4

Psalm 84:1-2

Psalm 91:1

Psalm 95:6-7

Psalm 96:9

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meanings and pressure to add additional actions the “finished

work” of Christ. Those who use this phrase are often unclear

as to what "self" they are encouraging others to "die to." Is it

the "self" of personal spiritual identity? Such an action would

be apostasy. Is it the "self" of personal individuality? Such an

action would deny the creation of God AS individuals. Is it the

"self" of personal existence? Such an action would be suicide.

Is it the "self" of personal resource? Such is to suggest the

mistaken identity of spiritual gifts. Is it the "self" of personal

interest and selfishness? This can be the only spiritual logical

usage, making the phrase equivalent to "denying oneself."

THE SYMBOLIC CROSS VS. THE REAL CROSS

Misunderstandings and misinterpretations reveal a much

broader mystical explanation of the cross and the crucifixion of

Jesus, which needs to be addressed. There is a long history of

“Christians” using the symbol of the cross in superstitious,

mystical and fashionable ways.

The earliest indwelt Christians seem to have rejected the use

of the cross as a symbol. This is because the cross was a

despised execution instrument. Would we want to wear a gold

-plated noose or gallows had Jesus been hanged, or a gold-

plated guillotine had Jesus been beheaded, or a gold-plated

electric chair had Jesus been electrocuted, or a gold-plated

syringe had Jesus been lethally injected? It is not difficult to

understand their aversion to using the cross as a symbol.

Mankind has always utilized symbols to give expression to

their abstract ideas. Early Christians developed a symbol of

the fish, because the Greek word for fish, ichthus, was used

as a crossword for "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior." The

dove was used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

The primary emphasis of early Christian preaching was the

resurrection- life of Jesus Christ, for which a symbol was diffi-

cult to find. The empty cross became a symbol to show that

Jesus had been raised from the dead, and it eventually be-

came the predominant Christian symbol. The first record of its

use is found during the second century. Clement of Alexandria

wrote, "We mark the brow with the sign of the cross.” There is

also evidence that the gesture of the cross and material ob-

jects in the form of a cross, by the Roman State Church, were

used as early as the second century as ritual fetishes to ward