Jesus was physically crucified on the cross at Calvary. Though blameless, He took upon Himself the punishment for sin, which was death, so He could pay our debts and forgive us our sin if we are willing to believe in Him and follow Him.

The Apostle Paul wrote: “I have been crucified with Christ…” (Galatians 2:20) This is a metaphorical crucifixion. We are not crucified ourselves, but we count our sin to be crucified. In other words, it is dead, and therefore not able to control our actions. One who lives a crucified life is one who overcomes sin by reckoning themselves to be crucified with Christ.