GALATIANS 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.
THEME OF THE DAY. THE FAITH-BASED LIFE. Imagine we sat down for a conversation. I am a new believer excited about my new life in Christ. I am eager to grow spiritually, and I asked you to help me. As we dialogue about the things of the Lord, I showed you today’s scripture. As we read it together, I said, “How do I apply this verse in my life?” What would you tell me? How do we apply this wonderful verse in living out the Christian life? There are three applications.
First, we must understand what happened to us when we became Christians. Friends, this is vital. New believers need to be instructed and “old” believers reminded, what occurred at the time God saved us. We didn’t just get forgiven. We didn’t just get heaven. We didn’t just get our guilt and God’s wrath removed. No, we died. With Christ – “I am crucified with Christ”. Never look to the cross of Christ without seeing ourselves on that cross with Him. When our Lord died for our sin, we died to our sin with Him. The Apostle Paul saw the true meaning of Christ’s cross. It was both the means of God being reconciled to man and man being separated from a life of enslaved sin. Dead to sin. Dead to the old life. Dead to self. The cross of Christ did for us what we could not do ourselves – put to death what kept us from God – our sinful self.
But like Christ didn’t stay on the cross, neither do we. Paul would go on and say, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Dead with Christ leads to alive in Christ; alive not in just theological truth, but in daily reality. The Apostle isn’t expounding doctrine but relationship. Christ is alive, by His Spirit and Word, inside the heart of Paul. And it is the same for every child of God. Never alone. Never without power. Never forsaken and without divine resources to live the faith-based, Christ-centered life.
The final application to live out the faith-based life from Galatians 2:20 is what makes the Christian life the abundant Christian life, the joy-filled Christian life, and the longing for heaven Christian life – love. We read, “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.” The greatest theologian, Bible scholar, and Christian ever to live, the Apostle Paul, never forget, never drifted from, and never neglected the most amazing truth a human being will ever hear . . . “The Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me.” When life gets hard; situations overwhelming us; circumstances drowning us; and people disappoint, even desert us, run to the safe harbor of Christ’s love – cling to the solid rock of His unconquerable love for us. It will weather every storm in life. And really, the faith-based life comes down to this . . . a life changed by the love of Christ to pursue the love of Christ under the control of the love of Christ. Such a life rests confidently in this love as revealed in His Word and work. Such a life gives the world the testimony of true faith in Christ; a faith that not only knows the reality of a God who revealed Himself, but walks with Him in the power of the crucified and raised with Christ life.
PRAYER: “Father, teach me to see the faith-based life is a truth-driven, Christ-centered life.”
QUOTE: “To live by faith is not merely to acknowledge Christian facts but to live Christ-dependent.”