Crucified With Christ (Telugu) — Zac Poonen

Jesus Came Primarily to Save Us From Sin

We have to see what is the primary work that Jesus came to do. He does many other things also, but what is the main thing? Like when your children go to school, they study, they play games, they may act in some dramas, but what is the main thing?

You don't send your children to school to act in a drama. You don't send your children to school to play cricket. The primary reason you send them is to study. All the other things are secondary. Supposing there is one school that does not teach them anything, but only acts in dramas and plays cricket.

You will not send your child to that school. I will not send the child to that school. Because I say the first purpose of sending a child to school is its studies. Other things like playing cricket or dramas and all are secondary.

So in the same way, the first primary thing the Lord Jesus does is to save us from sin. That's what it says in Matthew 1 .21. You shall call his name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.

Now along with that, he may do many other things. He may provide our earthly needs, heal our sicknesses and also take us to heaven. But even taking us to heaven is not a primary thing. The primary thing is to be saved from sin.

Now a school may take the children on an outing somewhere to Delhi or something like that. But that is not the main reason why I send a child to school. No, the first thing is study. So in all of our churches, we need to understand what is the first thing Jesus does.

Nowadays, some churches are only saying how Jesus will bless you with earthly things. All their preaching is about how Jesus will give you money or how he'll heal your sickness or how he will take you to heaven.

He may do all that. But that is like a school that only has drama and cricket and excursion. What type of school is that? The main thing is studying. Mathematics and science is not there. Always they have dramas and football and cricket and picnics and excursions.

That is how some churches are. The main thing is missing. What is the main thing? To save people from their sins. Instead of that, there are so many other things which are not bad. There's nothing wrong with drama and games and excursions.

But that is not the main purpose of a school. So in the church also and in our home also and in our life, we must see what is primary and what is secondary. What about your home? What is the main thing you must teach your children?

Teaching Children to Love and Honor God

I'll tell you. To love Jesus with all their heart. To love one another. That is the most important thing. To honor their father and mother. When they are small, so that when they grow up, they will learn to honor God.

If your children don't learn to honor you, father and mother at home, they will not learn to honor God when they grow up. Now, if your children have gone astray and they are not following the Lord today, it is because you did not teach them the primary thing when they were small.

You can't say that I sent them to Sunday school. The Bible does not say Sunday schools bring up the children in the fear of the Lord. No, the Bible says fathers, bring up your children in the instruction of the Lord.

Many fathers are a failure. They don't teach their children anything in the Bible. They don't teach the children the fear of God. They just send them to school and give them a good earthly education. And those children grow up to be a disgrace to the name of Jesus Christ.

That's a sin. It's a sin to bring children into the world and make them live for the world and the devil. If you are not going to bring up your children in a God-fearing way, then I tell you it is better you don't have children.

Training Children for Christ Rather Than the World

See, it is like if there is a war between India and Pakistan. You are going to train your children to fight in the Pakistan army or Indian army? In the same way, in the world today, there is a war between Jesus Christ and his army and the devil and his army.

And I'll tell you, Jesus Christ's army is very, very small. And Satan's army is a huge, crores and crores of people. Because to come into Jesus Christ's army, you must be free from sin. So in Satan's army, you have to love sin.

So most people go there. Now my question is, are you training your children to join Satan's army or Jesus' army? There are only two armies. And whether you like it or not, they are going to join one of them.

I don't want my children to live even one day fighting in Satan's army. What do you do if your children are living for the world? I have heard many parents come to me and say, brother, please pray that my children will come to the Lord.

I say, are you willing to pray what I tell you to pray? If your children are worldly, they're living for the world, they're not born again, not interested, shall I tell you how to pray for them? Pray that they will have a road accident and break their legs and be put in a hospital.

And lying in the hospital, they will cry out to God. Will you pray like that? Oh, no, no, no, brother, we don't want to pray like that. Then you pray, Lord, let them live for the devil, let them live for the world, but let them make a lot of money.

And let them live a very comfortable life in this world and finally go to hell and we will be in heaven and we will see our children in hell. You want that? That will happen unless you pray something serious.

That's what I would do. My children are going astray, even one of them, if they're going astray, I will pray they'll have a road accident and break their leg. Because that is better than going to hell.

That is better than living for the devil on this earth. I don't want my children only to be believers and baptized. I want them to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Some of you may say, oh, thank God, my children are baptized.

You're happy with that? Are you happy just with that? No, you shouldn't be happy. Say, Lord, they must be wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. It's all a question of valuing the things that are important in eternity.

Guarding the Home From Sin

We must flee from sin in our home. We must not allow our children to bring sinful music into our home. Nowadays, there's a thing called rock music. It is 100 from the devil. And so many young people like to listen to that.

Even children of believers, if your children bring that into your home, you have to tell them, in this house, the father must say, I am the head of this house. I decide what music is played in this house.

When you get married and set your own home, you do what you like. But in this house, I am the head. I will not allow this music in my house. I will not allow these type of videos to be played in this house.

I will not allow you to bring these type of books into this house. You are strict like that? Then your children will grow up to fear God. They may fight with you when you tell them all this. You can argue as much as you like, but I will not allow these things because I am the head of this house.

We must run away from sin in our house. You can't blame the children. They don't have enough understanding. They don't have enough knowledge. They learn some bad habits from their friends in school and college.

They don't know how it will destroy them. But you got sins. You must tell them, if you name the name of Jesus, you must give up all sins. That is what this verse says. So I want to explain a little more about sin today.

Sin Comes From Self-Centeredness

I told you how this Levite and the priest didn't care for that person lying on the street. Why was it? Why do people commit sin? Why do men like to lust after women? Why do we get angry with somebody if they cross our will?

Why do you get angry with your wife and your husband? Why do you speak bad words against others? Why are you jealous of somebody who is better than you? All these sins have got a source. Yesterday, I told you, one of those sources is pride.

When I exalt myself, I want to tell you about another source from which these sins come. The source of these sins is that myself is the center of my life. All of us have got a throne in our heart, and self sits on that throne.

Myself. The devil said that in Job chapter 2. In the first chapter, we read how God allowed Satan to kill Job's children and destroy all his business. And in one day, Satan killed all his ten children and destroyed all his business.

His business came to zero. But Job was still worshipping God. And then God told Satan, You see, I allowed you to do all that to Job. Job chapter 2 verse 3. You, the last part. Even though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason, yet he is holding fast to his integrity.

Do you see him, Satan? He has lost his children, he has lost his business, he has lost all his property, but he still worships me. And Satan said, I know what man is like. He may love his children and his property, but he still worships me.

But there is something he loves much more than his children and his property. There is something he loves much more than his wife. What is that? Himself. He loves himself more than his wife, children, everybody.

You see, verse 4, skin for skin, all that a man has, he will give for his life. To protect his life. He is willing to lose everything. Have you read in the Old Testament, in Genesis 20? Great man of God like Abraham.

He was afraid some king would kill him because Sarah was a good looking woman, his wife. So he was afraid. If I say, this is my wife, the king will kill me and take her. So I will say, she is my sister.

The king will definitely take her then. And make her one of his wives. But see how selfish Abraham was. It doesn't matter if the king takes my wife and spoils her. I must be saved. Abraham was like that.

And we are all like that. We care for ourselves. You may say you love your wife and your children, but you love yourself. You know, there are some amazing stories in 2nd Kings where you read in Elisha's time, a woman used to eat their own children when they were so hungry.

Can you imagine people are so hungry and there is no food? And two women agree, today I will kill my child, we will eat that, tomorrow we will kill your child and eat your child. Everybody loves themselves.

That's why we get irritated with our children when they disturb us. That's why we get irritated with our husband and wife. Everything must center around my comfort. Everybody must make life very easy for me.

Because self is sitting on the throne. So, why do husband and wife have a fight? Because in the husband's heart, he is sitting on the throne. And in the wife's heart, she is sitting on the throne. And in the children's heart, they are sitting on the throne.

Always there is fight, fight, fight, fight. What is the solution? Jesus said, we must be crucified. The husband must die inwardly and Jesus must sit on his throne. And the wife must die to herself. And Jesus must sit on her throne.

And we must teach the children to die to themselves. And Jesus sits on the throne. Then there is peace. Because husband's heart, Jesus is on the throne. And the wife's heart, Jesus is on the throne. And the children's heart, Jesus is on the throne.

Then there is peace. Then if somebody hurts me, it's not important. If somebody speaks evil of me, it doesn't matter. Because I have died. I am like a dead man here. You speak evil about him, he is not bothered.

You insult him, don't care for him, he is not bothered. This is the only way to be free from sin. In the old testament, they could not be free from sin. Because this message of the cross was missing. There are two messages in the cross.

Crucified With Christ

One is Christ died for all my past sins. And not only that, the second message is this. That Jesus took me and crucified me with him on the cross. Jesus Christ took me and crucified me with him on the cross.

That is not to forgive my sins. To forgive my sins, it was enough that he died on the cross. In Galatians 2 .20, Paul says,. In Galatians 2 .20, Paul says, I am crucified with Christ. No, I don't live.

Then you say, Paul, how are you living then? He says in the same words. It is no longer I, it is Christ living in me. Then what about Paul? Paul has died. Then who is living? Christ is living. It is like you go to some house and you say, this man was living here.

No, he is not living here. The people say he is not living here. But he was living here a few years ago. He was living, he is dead and he is gone. We are new people living here. That is Christianity. Once upon a time, Zac Ponnen was living inside this body.

But he died. Now Jesus is living there. That is true Christianity. How did Zac Ponnen die? He was crucified by Jesus on the cross. But I thought only Jesus died on the cross. He died in order to forgive our sins.

But he took Zac Ponnen also on the cross so that Zac Ponnen does not commit sin. So my question is this, do you really want to be free from sin? There is only one way. Just like we tell the world, there is only one way by which your sins can be forgiven.

There is only one way by which your sins can be forgiven. There is only one way. Jesus Christ died on the cross for you. For your sins. You believe that, you accept that and somebody says, no, I cannot accept that.

Okay, then your sins cannot be forgiven. God will not force you. You can try every other method, your sins will not be forgiven. You have to accept that Jesus died on the cross for you. When a person accepts that, Lord, there is no other way.

You died for all my sins on the cross. Please, I turn from my sin. Forgive me. All the crores of sins I have committed in the past are all gone in a moment. Now, that message, I think all of you agree.

But the second message of the cross, the Lord says to you, now here is the second message on the cross. The Lord Jesus says, now I want to tell you not how to have your sin forgiven, but how to be free from your sin.

Now, if you are only interested in forgiveness of sins, then this one message is enough. And for many Christians, that is enough. They are like babies who are always drinking milk, milk, milk, milk, milk.

From Milk to Solid Food

You know how little baby, you cannot put meat into the mouth. You put meat in the mouth, it will choke and die. It will spit it out, because it doesn't like it. But milk, it will just keep on drinking.

You put a piece of meat, it will spit it out. There are Christians also like that. What is the solid food? See, Hebrews chapter 5, everything is in the Bible. All the answers for our spiritual life are in the Bible, if you know where to find it.

Here, the writer to the Hebrews says in chapter 5 verse 12, the time has come, you are so grown up, you should have been teachers. But you are still learning all the elementary lessons. And you are still drinking milk and not solid food.

See, it's like telling a person, you are 30 years old, you should be a teacher in this school. But you are still sitting in the kindergarten learning ABC. Can you imagine a 30 year old man sitting in the kindergarten learning ABC?

See, you are sitting here, you should be a teacher in this school by now. That is what he is saying to these Christians. And I believe that's what the Holy Spirit is saying to some of us. You shouldn't be sitting learning just forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness.

That is ABC. Forgiveness for sin, forgiveness for sin, forgiveness for sin. You are still in the same position as you learned ABC. You are sinning and you ask forgiveness. You are sinning and you ask forgiveness.

You are sinning and you ask forgiveness. Can't you keep yourself clean? Little children are like that. They will dirty their underwears. Because they are only one year old. They don't know how to go to the toilet.

So they will dirty their underwear. Then the mother will clean it. And after 3 -4 hours, again they will dirty their underwear. Again they have to clean it. Next day, same thing. One year, same thing.

Two years, same thing. Supposing your child is like that for 10 years. What is this? You should be old enough now to go to the toilet and still changing his underwear. He does not know how to keep himself clean.

That is how God feels about some of his children. They dirty themselves with sin. And the Lord has to clean their underwear. Okay, I forgive you. And after a few hours, again they dirty themselves with sin.

They are cleansed by the blood of Christ. Next year, same thing. Ten years later, same thing. And the Lord says, when will they grow up? That's what he is saying here. You should have been teachers by now.

You should be helping your younger brothers to change their underwears. But somebody has to change yours. You are still drinking milk. If somebody puts one small bit of bread into your mouth, you spit it out.

Only milk. How long you are going to drink milk? Five years, ten years, fifteen years, you are still with the bottle? Many believers are like that. What is milk? Milk means only the message of forgiveness of sins.

What is solid food? Solid food is called in verse 13, the word of righteousness. That is solid food. It is written here. Solid food means how to live a holy life. So, when somebody tries to live, put a message of how to live a holy life, you are like a baby spitting it out, you say you don't want that.

No, no, no, just give me milk. I like the message that Jesus died for my sins. That is milk, brother, sister. That is milk. It is good. We need milk even when we grow up. But we eat a lot of other things when we grow up also.

The message of forgiveness of sins is good for all of us. But there is another solid food called the word of righteousness. And that message is spitted out. What is that message? Not only Jesus died on the cross, but you also were crucified on the cross.

Taking Up the Cross Every Day

So, you take up your cross and die to yourself every day. What is this word of righteousness? I will say it to you in the words of Jesus. Deny yourself and take up your cross every day and follow me. What is the milk?

Repent of your sins and believe that Jesus died for all your sins. Then your sins will be forgiven. Let me repeat that. What is the milk? Repent of your sins and believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again.

Receive that. That is milk. It is very good. And when we are babies, we need it. But when we are grown up, we need that, but we need much more other things also. Even if you drink milk as a grown up, you drink very little milk every day.

You eat more solid food. What is solid food? Take up your cross every day and deny yourself. Die to yourself. Follow Jesus. That is not for forgiveness of sins. That is for overcoming sins. That is to grow up to maturity.

No child can grow up to maturity if it only drinks milk. It will become sick. No child can grow up only drinking milk for 10 -20 years. That is the trouble with many Christians. They don't want to eat the solid food.

Be crucified with Christ. Accept that. And say, Lord, I want to live that life every day. All Christians preach that Christ died for our sins. That He was crucified for our sins. But how many churches do they preach that you also were crucified with Christ?

How many churches do they preach that you also were crucified with Christ? Galatians 2 .20. Romans 6 Verse 6. Our old man was crucified with Jesus Christ. Our old man was crucified with Christ. Why? To forgive our sins?

No. To forgive our sins, Jesus dying is enough. It is written here. We are crucified with Christ, not for the forgiveness of our sins. But so that we don't become slaves of sins. This is one step higher.

Not forgiveness of sins, but that I don't become a slave of sins. If you want to stop being a slave of sins, you have to accept this message. If you don't accept it, there is no other way. Just like we tell the unbeliever, you must believe that Christ died for your sins.

There is no other way. He says, no, no, no, there are many ways. But he will never get forgiveness. Because there is no other way. Jesus said, I am the way. No one comes to the Father but by me. In the same way, I would say to all believers, there is only one way that you can stop being a slave of sins.

There is only one way by which you can obey that verse which says, depart from wickedness. There is only one way. And that way is to accept that you were crucified with Christ. To take up the cross means every day you say, Lord, I accept that.

Considering Ourselves Dead to Sin

See, it says here in verse 11, Now consider yourself to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. What does that mean in practical terms in my life? Every day, I must consider that Zak Poonen is dead.

He died. Then who is living here in this body? This one new owner has come. Jesus Christ. That's what Paul said. No longer Paul. Jesus Christ. Consider your old person to be dead. You know, this body is not us.

I hope you know that. I hope you know that. Your body is only a house. Inside this house, you are living. One day when you die physically, it only means you left this house and went out to heaven. What people call death is not really your death.

In death, all it means is that you left this body and went off to heaven. See, it's like if your child got admission and got a job in America and went off to America. You don't say he's dead. No, no, no.

He's not dead. He's from India, he went to America. Same way, what people call death, it's not really death. He left this world and he went to heaven. He got promoted to glory. That is what people call death.

So, what this is speaking about now is that while we live in this body, inwardly, I can die. I can die and Christ can live in me now. If you accept that, you will not be a slave of sin. What do you have to do?

Consider yourself to be dead to sin. Because it is true. Because we were crucified with Christ. God does not ask us to consider something which is not true. Supposing my son is studying in some college and he gives me a phone call.

Daddy, please put 3000 rupees into my bank account because you have to pay the college fees tomorrow. What do I tell him? I don't tell him. Just shut your eyes and imagine that 3000 rupees is in your account.

And just give a check. Nothing will happen. I have to tell him, I am sending 3000 rupees into your account today. Or I can tell him, yesterday I sent that 3000 rupees to your account. No, you don't have to go into the bank and check.

Just trust my word. I have already verified it has reached your account. And if my son trusts me, he won't go to the bank to check up if my father sent the money or not. My father has verified it and it is true.

I can write the check without going to the bank. That is what he is saying here. Jesus says, your old man was crucified with Christ. Lord, I believe that. So, I consider that I have died. That means you don't believe that Jack Poonan is fit to live.

He is so bad, he has to be killed. It's like, you know, you use your scooter, scooter, scooter for so many years, repair it, repair it, repair it, repair it. And you are using it for 35 years with all these repairs.

And one day the mechanic says, Sir, there is no hope of this scooter. Please throw it away. You need another one. That is what the Lord is saying. This Jack Poonan, there is no hope for him. He is useless.

He has to be killed. So, I am going to kill him. I will give you another life. Life of Jesus. His old life was what he got from Adam. He had tried to repair it. What do you mean by repairing the life of Adam?

You hear in the message, you must behave nicely. Behave nicely to your wife. So, for few days, you will behave nicely to your wife. This is repairing the life of Adam. Or in some other area. You try to repair the life of Adam.

But again it gets spoiled. All the bad habits come back. Then you hear some message again, you repair it. And the Lord says, listen to me. This life of Adam can never be repaired. It is useless. It has to be killed.

That is why I killed it on the cross with Jesus Christ. All you have to do is accept it. Say that your life is so bad, it must be killed. Lord, I accept it. Then the Lord will remove it. And give you another life.

The life of Jesus. It says here in 2 Timothy 2. No, this message is not how to get forgiveness of sins. This is to be free from sin. It says in 2 Timothy 2 .11. This is a trustworthy statement. That is how it begins.

You can be absolutely sure this is true. You can trust this statement 100%. What is that statement? If you die with him, we will definitely live with him. When Jesus went to the cross, He was absolutely sure that after 3 days he will come out.

He didn't hang on the cross wondering, is this the end? No. This is only for 3 days. Then I am going to come out. He was absolutely sure. That is why he could go to the cross with such boldness. Supposing somebody is coming to kill you.

And you are absolutely sure after 3 days you will come out of the grave. With a better body. He will say, go ahead, kill me. After 3 days I will come out with a better body. You won't be afraid. That is why the Christian martyrs and all in olden days were not afraid to be killed.

They were burnt. They were thrown to the lions. They said, we are not afraid. You kill this body. God will give me a better body. I am not afraid. So Jesus also, He knew he would be raised up. Spiritually, the same thing is true today.

Supposing you hurt me. This inner man, You insult it. You say all types of bad things about me. You get angry with me. You curse me. But this man is dead. I accept it. He is dead. You can't touch it. He is dead already.

Another person is living here now. I am sure. I am sure. If I accept this dying with Jesus, I will live with him. Do you know why many of you have got forgiveness of sins but you have not got the life of Jesus?

Please listen carefully. Why is it many Christians, their sins are all forgiven but they behave like Adam? But they behave like Adam? Why is it so many preachers, elders behave worse than the non-Christians?

Why is it so many Christians are so selfish and bitter and hard to get along with? Because they are not willing to die to themselves. They can't eat solid food. They keep on drinking milk, forgiveness of sins, forgiveness of sins.

Receiving the Life of Christ

Why are they afraid to die? Because they think God will not give them something better. You know, supposing there was a prince coming down the road driving his big Mercedes car. And he sees one beggar woman sitting there with a tin can.

And he gets out of the car and tells this poor beggar I want to marry you. Then we will have a joint account in the bank. I will put my crores and you put this fifty paisa you got in your thing also there.

You want it or not? What should the beggar woman say? Supposing she says No, I am not sure. I have got to think about that. What a foolish person you are. This is a picture of how Jesus comes to us. We are all like beggars sitting on the roadside with our little fifty paisa in our thing.

And Jesus, the prince of heaven comes and says to us beggars I want to marry you. I want to give you all the riches of heaven. What have you got? Fifty paisa? Let us put it together and let us have a joint account.

Actually we don't even have fifty paisa. We got zero. Why don't you give everything to him? Say Lord, I don't want to live myself anymore. I want you to live inside me. Then you will have the life of Jesus.

That is solid food. Just like you want your children to eat solid food to grow God wants all of you to eat solid food to grow. Of course, it is much easier to drink milk. You put meat inside your mouth you have to bite it and chew it it is little more difficult than drinking milk.

But how many of you sitting here would rather keep on drinking milk every day and eat no chicken, no mutton, nothing? You like to eat all those other things. Supposing I put a glass of milk before you and chicken biryani, which do you want?

How many of you will say, I want the milk? Maybe a baby. You say, no, this is better. You say, wait, wait, wait, this you have to chew and chew this is the chicken pieces and all you have to bite it. This milk is just easy.

And it is in a bottle also you can just keep on sucking it and drink it. It is much easier. Why don't you take that? No, no, no, I like to chew, I enjoy this. How foolish a person will go for that milk.

It is like that. This is the message of forgiveness of sins. That's easy. Lord, I am a sinner. Please forgive me. Gone. But this, take up the cross you have to chew it. Why don't we take it? Because the devil has told us a lie.

This is not good for you. He thinks that if we make Jesus the center of our life our life will be unhappy. No, you are already unhappy. Because self is the center of your life. You know, when Jesus taught his disciples to pray what was he trying to teach them?

The Lord’s Prayer Puts God at the Center

See, Matthew chapter 6 in the old testament you read the prayers people prayed it was mostly for earthly things. Lord, please protect me from all my enemies. Please, the Egyptians are chasing us. Please deliver us from them.

The Syrians are now coming to attack our country. Please deliver us from them. Lord, there has not been any rain for many days. Please give us some rain so we can have some food. Lord, we are very poor.

Give us a lot of gold and silver. Or we are sick, Lord. Please heal us of this sickness. These are all the old testament prayers. And the disciples had heard that type of prayer in the synagogue for years.

Then they came to Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 6 verse 8 from now on verse 9 you must pray like this. Now on, don't pray that old testament type of prayer. You are the center of your life. Lord, give me food.

Give me money. Give me healing. Deliver me from my enemies. Lord, that fellow is taking me to court. Please give me victory in the court. Because self is on the throne. Self is in the center. Now Jesus said from now on pray in a different way.

You see our father who art in heaven I am not asking about my court case or my healing. I am not even asking for money. My first prayer is Oh God, let my father let your name be hallowed. I am not asking anything for myself.

Let your name be hallowed. My second prayer let your kingdom come. My third prayer let your will be done not my will. See how Jesus was teaching them in prayer to change the center from self to God. When your prayer center goes away from yourself to God, then you become a spiritual person.

When the thoughts in your heart are thinking more about God's kingdom than your kingdom you become a spiritual person. If all your thoughts about me and my children and my family my house, my job, my health, my future, my bank account and the future of my children my children's marriage my children's education if these are the only things I think about and pray about there is nothing wrong in it but you are a baby.

When are you going to grow up? A grown up person doesn't think of himself. See for example if a father is a businessman and he has travelled to get orders for his business 2 -3 months he comes back and he has got a 4 year old son What is he going to ask?