I’m not sure most of us as Christians live as aware as we should be of the Biblical teaching that Jesus-followers are to consider themselves “dead.” The scriptural evidence is clear:
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)
Now, if we die with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (Romans 6:8)
Given that spiritual fact, we are urged to intentionally engage that reality:
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:11)
Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules…? (Colossians 2:20)
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24)
Jesus’ teaching in Luke 9:23-24 similarly affirms this “dead to myself, alive in Jesus” condition:
“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.’”
Unless we understand that we are to consider ourselves dead to ourselves but alive in, through, and for Jesus, we will default to the defense of our “personal rights,” forgetting that Jesus owns our rights.
Dead persons can’t be offended, so we have freedom to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us. Dead persons don’t need to defend their territory or power or position or privileges, so we are free to deny ourselves for the greater purpose of Christ’s Kingdom advance. Dead persons are done striving for their personal gain, so we are free to offer ourselves as living sacrifices for whatever is to our Savior’s gain.
The great biblical news is that we as Christians are never more alive than when we choose to consider ourselves dead and give the steering wheel of our lives to “Christ in us, the hope of glory.” After all, we should acknowledge, whether it be an automobile or our day-to-day lives, that “dead persons shouldn’t drive!”