I Have Been Crucified With Christ - Part Four

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I have been discovering over the past several days what being crucified with Christ means for a born again believer. It isn’t a physical death and resurrection, but a spiritual death and rebirth. Being crucified with Christ is to die to the law. To die to sin. And to die to the desires of my flesh.

In the next part of the verse I am encouraged by knowing that Christ lives in me. I no longer live by my old standards and desires, but I live differently because of the indwelling of Christ. I am a renewed person in the likeness of God and I now pursue holiness and conformity with Jesus.

In my last post I saw what it means to live by faith in the Son of God. Faith is defined as complete trust or confidence in someone or something. When we live by faith in Jesus we are putting our complete trust in Him and who He is. No longer living in the flesh. Making a choice to live by faith in the Son of God changes us. I seek a life that looks more like His.

Today I am considering the final part of this verse:

who loved me and gave himself for me.

This verse, Gal 2:20, was one I memorized early on in my Christian walk. I have probably said it over and over at least one thousand times. And as I would say it, I never grasped the true meaning of and magnitude of what is packed into it. Until recently…

As I meditate on this final portion of the verse I am overwhelmed by the Love of God for me. I know for myself, the love of God is something I have taken for granted often. I believe the reason for this is that I really don’t grasp the severity of my sin before Him. Because of the Grace of God, killing sin doesn’t always take shape the way it should. So in this last post on Gal 2:20 I want to spend a little time understanding why this last phrase, “who loved me and gave himself for me,” has so much significance.

Rom 5:10 tells us: For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

While we were enemies… The first reason I find this last part of verse 20 in Galatians so significant is that Christ died for me as an enemy. Do you remember what Jesus says in Matt 5:44? He says to love your enemies. This verse shows me that Jesus doesn’t only teach the things of God, but actually fleshed them out for you and for me. While we were enemies of God He took the punishment on the cross for our disobedience. He paid the ultimate price so I could live free in Him. How amazing is that? He gave himself up for me. Not a group of people, not the whole world (which he did), but for me as an individual. I was on His mind while He was on the cross.

Secondly, I am in awe of the fact that the creator of the universe loved me. Not because of anything I have done or will do. Just because He loves me. Eph 1:4-5 says before the foundation of the world he chose me because of His love. When I try to wrap my mind around that one I can only be amazed.

In summary, God loved me before the foundation of the world. And in that great love for me, He sent Jesus to live a perfect life and die on the cross taking the punishment I deserve. John: 15:13 tells us that no greater love is this, than one would lay his life down for his friend. What about laying your life down for your enemies? That is what Jesus did for me… and you!

Blessings,
Keith

Part one

Part two

Part three

I Have Been Crucified With Christ - Part Three

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.

I have been crucified with Christ… I have been writing over the last several blog posts about what it means to be crucified with Christ. How we, as Christians, can begin to learn how to no longer live our own way of life, but to live knowing that Christ lives in us.

In this passage in Galatians I find it interesting that Paul states that he "no longer lives," and then in the next sentence says that "he now lives." This may appear as a paradox, but is clearly a true definition of what he means when he says in 2Cor 5:17; therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

When we give our lives to Christ we crucify our old life of sin. We actually die to sin and are no longer bound by the law (Gal 2:19) and our inability to keep it. We have been raised up with Christ and now live a new life in him. Jesus says in John 15:5, apart from me you can do nothing.

Paul wants us to know that Christ is the source for all we have. He has taken residence in us and we in Him. Certainly we still have to live in our flesh. We still possess a body, but in that body we no longer live by the way the flesh used to lead us. We now live our life by the faith that He produces in us. (Heb 12:2) Jesus is the founder and the perfecter of our faith.

Living by faith means moment by moment looking to Jesus for our strength, trusting Him for direction, and believing in His Grace. In addition to looking to Jesus in faith for wisdom and strength, we are living more like Him as well. In 2Cor 5:15, Paul says we no longer live to ourselves, but to Him who died for us.

Many of us claim to be followers of Christ. We go to church on Sunday and try hard to be good. That can be a good thing, but Paul is not talking about being good or going to church. Paul is talking about a completely transformed life. He is talking about us having the attributes of Christ and living accordingly.

So if my life is crucified in Him and I am no longer governed by my flesh, and I live in Him by faith, what should my life now look like? Here are some things I need to consider to see if I am really living by faith in Him.

• Jesus is loving, even to the point of dying for those who were His enemies. Am I willing to die to my selfish desires in love for those I encounter?
• Jesus is humble and patient. Do I express humility in everything I do?
• Jesus is gentle, meek, and kind. How am I doing in this area? Am I filled with the Love and Kindness of Jesus?
• Jesus is prayerful. Being like Jesus requires me to be in constant contact with the Father.
• Jesus is sinless. As I live by faith in Him and experience His grace, I too will be less capable of sin. When my desires and thoughts are in constant alignment with His, sin is an abomination.
• Jesus cares for others. Living like Jesus means that I no longer look out for myself only. I look to Him for guidance and use my resources to help those in need.

Being crucified with Christ isn’t about being saved from hell. It isn’t fulfilled by going to church once a week and living like a chameleon in the world the rest of the week. Being crucified with Christ and living our new life by faith in Him is about becoming Jesus to the world. It is about us loving, trusting, and depending on Him so greatly that we begin to look more and more like Him every day.

My prayer today is that we, as Christians, stop trying to be good. We stop trying to accumulate possessions. We stop looking to our own needs first. And we start looking like, acting like, and being like Jesus.

Blessings,
Keith

I Have Been Crucified With Christ - Part Two

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.

In part one of I have been crucified with Christ I discussed what it means to be crucified with Christ. I was able to see that being crucified with Christ meant that I am to die to myself. That I am to die to the desires of my flesh and the bondage of sin. That Jesus paid for it on the cross and that in doing so I was there on his mind with him.
In this post I want to see what Paul means when he says “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Just as Jesus was resurrected from the dead, I too am resurrected and now live a new life. Paul tells us in this verse that it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. We were designed to be a dwelling-place of the spirit of God. God didn't create man to live on his own. We were created to be in fellowship with him. However, sin has broken that fellowship and caused man to live separate from God. When we are in Christ, we are a new creation, our old life has passed away and our new life has come.
So what is this new life in Christ that Paul is telling us to live? I think if we look at Colossians chapter three we might see a little bit more clearly what he is saying. Col 3:1-2 says that if we have been raised with Christ, then we will seek the things above. He says we are to set our mind on things above.
The key for us to “set our mind on the things above” is to come to an understanding of who lives in us. Paul says it is no longer I who live. So what does that mean? I am sure we can understand that Paul is not talking about his natural being. Rather, he is speaking of our spiritual being, the life we live in faith in Jesus Christ.
Christ living in us can seem quite mysterious. When we have found our new life in Christ, and He dwells in our heart, we begin to live different than those who don't know Christ. The way we think, the way we believe, and the way we act, begins to look more and more like Him.
So, when Paul says it is no longer I who live, I believe he is saying that the life he lives conforms to the life of Christ because of who he has now become, a new creation.
It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. When we begin to grasp the magnitude of that statement we must change the way we live. 1John 1:6 says that if we have fellowship with God but go on living in darkness that we are liars and we do not practice the truth. We are liars... We claim to be something we are not. We pretend to be a Christian all the while living in darkness and living to satisfy our own desires. That is what John is saying if we do not practice the truth.
Who lives in you today? Have you been crucified with Christ? Do you claim to have fellowship with God but still live like the rest of the world? Are you seeking after the things that bring simple pleasure rather than seeking after the things that bring pleasure to Christ?
Eph 4:22-24 tell us to put off our old self which belongs to our former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
“It is no longer I who lives” means that I now live with Christ in me as a renewed person in the likeness of God, pursuing righteousness and holiness.
Does Christ live in you today? If he does, do your desires conform with his?
Lord Jesus, help me to understand what it means to have you living inside of me. Help me not to live my old ways but to live in such a way that brings Glory and honor and praise to you alone. Lord, I know you live in me and the life that I live now I want to live in you.
May the Lord bless you today as you live in Him.
Blessings,
Keith

I Have Been Crucified With Christ - Part One

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I have taken on the joyful task of spending a few blog posts on Gal 2:20. I feel this will be a benefit to me (and you) for several reasons. First, it will give me a clear understanding of what Paul is speaking to the Galatians regarding their position in Christ and what it truly means to be "crucified." Second, I will begin to grasp in a deeper way what it means to live for Christ. Third, I believe this verse exhorts us to truly live by faith. And fourth, I see where it gives me a reason for my faith... because He loved me.
So, today I begin with the first part of the verse. "I have been crucified with Christ."
The way Paul begins this verse has significance. The word "I" seems fairly important. He states, "I have been crucified" rather than "we." This gives me the assurance that I am known by God personally. Not just collectively as in a large group of people, but as an individual. My mind tries often to comprehend what that means. Sometimes I visualize God as a King or an Emperor. I see Him looking out over a huge city filled with lots of people. Each one is unnamed. This perception is so not how God is. He is intimate with all of us. Visualize if you will the same King sitting on His throne looking out over the people, and at the same time, like a wind blowing amongst them, knowing each one by name.
Christ didn't die on the cross for a group of people. He died for individuals. You and me. He knows each one of us by name. He knows the color of our hair and how many we have. He designed our minds to operate in a certain way. He chose the color of our skin, who our parents would be, and why we may dislike lima beans. God knows each one of us intimately and He was crucified not for a group of unnamed people, but for individuals. For you and for me.
Having been crucified with Christ causes me to ask a few questions. What does it mean for me to be crucified? What did I put to death when I was crucified with Christ? And what is meant by "have been?"
Let me first ponder the "have been" part. I think of a couple of things pertaining to this. First, it could mean that when I made a decision to fully follow Christ I was crucified with Him. Or maybe it means that when He was on the cross taking the punishment for my sin, I was crucified there with Him.
I am inclined to go with the latter. Paul tells us in Ephesians that He knew us before the foundation of the world. God chose us before the foundation of the world, so I am thinking that "have been" means that I was crucified with Christ the day He gave His life for me on the tree. I was on His mind that day. He didn't die in hopes that maybe one day I would accept His free gift. He died knowing I was already His. What a comfort that is.
What does it mean for you and me to be crucified? We know that Paul didn't hang on the tree with Christ. The only two people on Biblical record who were crucified with Christ were the thieves on the cross. So what is Paul explaining to us when he says “I was crucified with Christ?” I think if we look at Romans chapter six we get a little bit more understanding of what the true meaning of us being crucified is. Rom 6:6 tells us that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. Being crucified with Christ means that we're dead to sin and we're dead to the law. Our old man has died. Sin no longer has dominion over us. Just as Christ defeated the power of sin, we too no longer allow sin power over us.
So when I read the beginning of Gal 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ," I realize that Christ didn't die for a group of unnamed people, but he died for me as an individual. I was on his mind while he was on the cross. And that my victory over sin and the law occurred before I was ever born. Paul tells us in Gal 5:24 that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Therefore we are to work daily at destroying the power and influence of sin and our life. If we are to live by the spirit, let us also walk by the spirit.
So my prayer for you and me today is that we will become dead to the law and to sin, and begin walking in the grace that God has given us through Christ Jesus. Jesus tells us in Luke chapter nine that anyone who would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Are you willing to be crucified? Are you willing to be dead to the desires of your flesh? Are you willing to live for Christ and offer yourself a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God? Picking up your cross daily needs to be an intentional act of our will. It doesn't happen simply by accident. In order to make your life a living sacrifice, you need to desire the things of God and not the things of the world. One must fall in love with Jesus and desire Him more than anything else. To do that you must get to know Him by reading His word, praying, and spending time with Him. Are you willing to do that?
Lord Jesus I pray that you'll help me understand what it truly means to be crucified with you. To give up my fleshly desires. To live for you alone. You took my sin on the cross so that I didn't have to, and I know that I could never repay you. So, today I offer up my life to you.
May the Lord bless you today as you offer your life to him.
Blessings,
Keith

I Have Been Crucified With Christ

As I was folding the endless mounds of laundry this afternoon I couldn't shake a scripture that kept rattling in my head. Any time a scripture just keeps running through my brain it is a good thing and this time seemed to be no different. It usually means God wants me to stop what I am doing and meditate on Him for a bit... So that I did.

I stopped folding laundry and cooked me up a plate of Lori's infamous leftover chicken enchilada's. After plopping on a spoon of sour cream and dousing them with my "use for everything" hot chili sauce I was ready to not only fill my spirit, but my belly as well.

Turning to Galatians 2:20 I continued to recite the scripture in my head again and again... I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. The more I meditated on this verse one thing stood clear to me today. I have been crucified with Christ.

I began to imagine what that would be like. The more I pondered on this the more difficult it became to even imagine. The bloodied beatings, the nails penetrating the hands and feet, the humiliation. It made me so thankful that I have a Savior who took the cross for me. One who bore the sin of all mankind..



Jesus gave Himself up for me. He knew full and well what He was accomplishing that day and selflessly sacrificed His body for my soul. And now I am asked to live my life for Him. I am honored and humbled to be called a follower of Jesus Christ.

Thank you Lord for your sacrifice for me... I do not deserve it.