Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ...."
"Christ has accomplished something for me". The question is, "Has Christ accomplished anything in me?" Opposition to God's will and rulership must be put to death in me as a response of love for what Christ has done for me.
We all think: I need clothes, food, and shelter. I need work, love, and family. I need respect, like-minded people, and validation. I need my own opinions, possessions, and place. How often do we think "I need to crucify my self-will"?
To follow Christ is not merely a moralistic pattern of living, an imitation of His work on earth, a heroic effort to follow Him, and certainly not simply an acceptance of the fact that He lived on earth. It is to live in a loving relationship of progressive identification with His complete righteousness and ultimate sacrifice, while thoughts of earning your own righteousness and making your own sacrifices are progressively put to death.
Is the crucifixion (or putting to death) of self-will possible? "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." (Mark 10:27) Christ has done many things for me, but crucifixion is what Christ is doing in me.
