Living in the Garden of Grace: Baptized into the Crucifixion of Jesus (Part I)
Reflections on David Kuykendall’s Living in the Garden of Grace
"Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?"
—Romans 6:3
When we placed our faith in Jesus, an extraordinary transaction occurred—we were crucified with Him. David Kuykendall’s Living in the Garden of Grace unpacks the profound reality of what it means to be baptized into the crucifixion of Jesus. In this section, Kuykendall introduces two key aspects of the believer’s crucifixion: the death of the “old man” and the believer’s death to sin.
Crucified with Christ: The Old Man Is Gone
"Our old man was crucified with Him…"
—Romans 6:6
What does Paul mean by “our old man”? Kuykendall defines the “old man” as the type of person we became through our birth into the race of Adam. In essence, it’s our sin nature—the inner attitude of rebellion, pride, and self-reliance that we inherited from Adam.
Kuykendall points us back to Genesis 3:6, where Eve is described as seeing the forbidden fruit as “desirable to make one wise.” When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they believed they could become wise apart from God. This “know-it-all” attitude, as Kuykendall calls it, is the essence of our sin nature—a deep-seated belief that we can live independently of God.
Paul describes this sinful arrogance in Romans 1:22:
“Professing to be wise, they became fools.”
Here’s the good news: when we placed our faith in Jesus, our old man—our sin nature—was crucified with Him. The part of us that lived in rebellion against God was put to death on the cross. This doesn’t mean we’re free from the presence of sin, but we are free from its power. The old man no longer defines us.
Dead to Sin: A New Freedom
“How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
—Romans 6:2
Kuykendall emphasizes that being crucified with Christ means we are “dead to sin.” The phrase “dead to sin” doesn’t mean we’ll never struggle with sin; rather, it means that sin no longer has dominion over us. The grip of our sin nature—the “know-it-all attitude”—has been broken.
Paul invites us to “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin” (Romans 6:11). The word “reckon” means to consider or believe. In other words, we are to believe that our old nature has been put to death and no longer controls us.
This isn’t about striving to overcome sin; it’s about resting in the truth of what God has already accomplished through Christ. By faith, we embrace the reality that we are no longer slaves to sin but free to walk in the Spirit.
Living Out the Crucifixion: Practical Implications
A New Identity
The crucifixion of our old man means we are no longer defined by our sin nature. Our identity is now found in Christ, not in our past failures or fleshly tendencies.Freedom from Self-Reliance
The “know-it-all attitude” of the old man often manifests as self-reliance. Being crucified with Christ frees us from the pressure to figure everything out on our own. Instead, we can trust God’s wisdom and guidance.Victory Over Sin
While we may still face temptations, we are no longer powerless. By reckoning ourselves dead to sin and alive to God, we can walk in victory through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Reflect & Respond
Take a moment to reflect on these truths:
Are there areas in your life where the old man—the know-it-all attitude—is still trying to take control?
How can you live more fully in the reality that your old man has been crucified with Christ?
Pray this:
“Lord, thank You for crucifying my old man with Christ. Thank You for setting me free from the sin nature that once ruled my life. I trust in Your work on the cross and reckon myself dead to sin and alive to You. Lead me to live in this truth daily, relying on Your Spirit to guide and sustain me. Amen.”
A Final Thought
The crucifixion of our old man is a foundational truth of the Christian life. It’s not something we strive to achieve; it’s a reality we receive by faith. As Kuykendall beautifully explains:
“We are to look upon ourselves as being dead to our ‘know-it-all attitude.’”
Let’s walk in the freedom Christ has purchased for us, trusting in His finished work and allowing His life to flow through us.