Galatians 2:20:
"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 delivered Himself up for me.
“I have been crucified with Christ.”
We have a holy and a just God who has created us with laws in place. One of those laws is: the wages of sin is death (Romans 6.23). In the old Covenant that law was taken care of by a daily ritual of sacrificing animals. The presence of God was in the Temple within the Holy of Holies. In the new Covenant the ultimate sacrifice was made once and for all by the death of the Lamb of God. The presence of God is within us, for the Scriptures declare that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God”. (Col 3:3)
The Scripture says that the old self is dead, but he feels very much alive! Read Romans 7:16-24 NASB (Notice the times Paul talks about “I” “Me” & “My” – 20 times) (16) But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good. (17) So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me. (18) For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. (19) For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. (20) But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. (21) I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. (22) For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, (23) but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. (24) Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
As we contemplate these words we see that death is not the goal. The goal is to live the resurrection life – now and in eternity. How do we live dead to sin but alive to Christ (Rom 6:11)? We need to see that God has provided another law that overthrows the first! In the natural world we see how the law of gravity is superseded by the law of aerodynamics.
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”.
Read Romans 8 (The word “I” is there TWICE, but Spirit is there 21 times). Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.
Read Col 1:27 “The mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
These Scriptures are telling us clearly that we must learn to focus on HIM. He (Holy Spirit) lives His life through us. Look at the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. David comments about Goliath twice, but he comments about God nine times. Where was David’s Focus?
In these Scriptures, I see that there are basically three ways to live:
Self Alive
Our eyes are focused on Self who is very much alive (In fact, we are living as a non-Christian). The center of Life consists of looking after Number 1. Our reaction to adversity tends toward self will, anger, hurt and retaliation.
Self Dead
Our eyes are focused on Self who is dead (In fact we spend all our efforts on pushing back the darkness – that which is dead). The center of Life consists of religion and a constant awareness to push out the darkness. Our reaction to adversity tends toward temporary success, frustration, and the “wretched-man syndrome”. The way we pray is to ask for God to “help me” do something.
Christ Living Within Me
Our eyes are focused on Christ living within me (Turning on the Light). Our center of Life is Jesus Christ. Our reaction to adversity is to live out of Jesus’ strength. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me. This is the way Jesus lived. He did nothing on His own. He did it all through what the Father indicated.
Read John 5:19-20, Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel.
Was this the only way Jesus could live or did he choose to live this way? Can we choose to live this way? How does it apply to us? We must focus on Jesus living in us, and by faith believe that He can do all things. He can overcome temptation. He can love an enemy. He can build an impossible ministry. He can do everything!
How big is your God? Let's look at only two of His many attribues
Might: Gen 17:1 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.
Did God say he had all might? NO. He is all might!
Love: 1Jn 4:16 And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
Did God say he had all love? NO. He is love!
The best resource we have is the source Himself:
He doesn’t want to give me strength; He wants to BE my strength.
He doesn’t want to give me wisdom; He wants to BE my wisdom.
He doesn’t want to give me love; He wants to BE my love.
How can we apply this is our everyday lives? How did we get salvation? By faith! We looked at Jesus & believed in Him for our salvation – FAITH. How do we apply Galatians 2:20? The same as we received salvation. By faith! We look at Jesus and believe HE has the might/love to do the work that needs doing in us – FAITH.
Let us consider three examples, and how to pray for those situations:
Overcome temptation
Colossians 3:1-10 mentions several “groups” of temptations: immorality, impurity & passion, evil desire & malice, anger, wrath & slander, greed & idolatry, and abusive speech. We should pray in this manner: Jesus, I am facing temptation again with __________. I cannot overcome this but I know you can. I have crucified my personal responses and I choose to live out of you. Give me the strength. I focus on you and on what you can do in me.
Love an enemy
Jesus, I am feeling hurt and angry, and have no power to forgive, but I know you are the source of all love and you live in me. Be to me all that I need. Fill me with your love, your forgiveness and your compassion.
Build an impossible ministry
Jesus, you are telling me to do ______________. You know I don’t have the _____________ to do that, but you are the eternal source of might and power and I trust that you can do it in me. I have faith in you and I will walk each step as you lead me.
In closing, we must learn to give Him the Glory: Ephesians 3:20-21 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Fix your eyes on Jesus! For whatever you fix your eyes upon grows within you. Whatever grows within you, you become. When the branch is grafted into the Vine, where does the strength of the branch come from? Where does the life of the branch come from?
"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 delivered Himself up for me.
“I have been crucified with Christ.”
We have a holy and a just God who has created us with laws in place. One of those laws is: the wages of sin is death (Romans 6.23). In the old Covenant that law was taken care of by a daily ritual of sacrificing animals. The presence of God was in the Temple within the Holy of Holies. In the new Covenant the ultimate sacrifice was made once and for all by the death of the Lamb of God. The presence of God is within us, for the Scriptures declare that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God”. (Col 3:3)
The Scripture says that the old self is dead, but he feels very much alive! Read Romans 7:16-24 NASB (Notice the times Paul talks about “I” “Me” & “My” – 20 times) (16) But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good. (17) So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me. (18) For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. (19) For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. (20) But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. (21) I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. (22) For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, (23) but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. (24) Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
As we contemplate these words we see that death is not the goal. The goal is to live the resurrection life – now and in eternity. How do we live dead to sin but alive to Christ (Rom 6:11)? We need to see that God has provided another law that overthrows the first! In the natural world we see how the law of gravity is superseded by the law of aerodynamics.
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”.
Read Romans 8 (The word “I” is there TWICE, but Spirit is there 21 times). Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.
Read Col 1:27 “The mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
These Scriptures are telling us clearly that we must learn to focus on HIM. He (Holy Spirit) lives His life through us. Look at the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. David comments about Goliath twice, but he comments about God nine times. Where was David’s Focus?
In these Scriptures, I see that there are basically three ways to live:
Self Alive
Our eyes are focused on Self who is very much alive (In fact, we are living as a non-Christian). The center of Life consists of looking after Number 1. Our reaction to adversity tends toward self will, anger, hurt and retaliation.
Self Dead
Our eyes are focused on Self who is dead (In fact we spend all our efforts on pushing back the darkness – that which is dead). The center of Life consists of religion and a constant awareness to push out the darkness. Our reaction to adversity tends toward temporary success, frustration, and the “wretched-man syndrome”. The way we pray is to ask for God to “help me” do something.
Christ Living Within Me
Our eyes are focused on Christ living within me (Turning on the Light). Our center of Life is Jesus Christ. Our reaction to adversity is to live out of Jesus’ strength. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me. This is the way Jesus lived. He did nothing on His own. He did it all through what the Father indicated.
Read John 5:19-20, Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel.
Was this the only way Jesus could live or did he choose to live this way? Can we choose to live this way? How does it apply to us? We must focus on Jesus living in us, and by faith believe that He can do all things. He can overcome temptation. He can love an enemy. He can build an impossible ministry. He can do everything!
How big is your God? Let's look at only two of His many attribues
Might: Gen 17:1 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.
Did God say he had all might? NO. He is all might!
Love: 1Jn 4:16 And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
Did God say he had all love? NO. He is love!
The best resource we have is the source Himself:
He doesn’t want to give me strength; He wants to BE my strength.
He doesn’t want to give me wisdom; He wants to BE my wisdom.
He doesn’t want to give me love; He wants to BE my love.
How can we apply this is our everyday lives? How did we get salvation? By faith! We looked at Jesus & believed in Him for our salvation – FAITH. How do we apply Galatians 2:20? The same as we received salvation. By faith! We look at Jesus and believe HE has the might/love to do the work that needs doing in us – FAITH.
Let us consider three examples, and how to pray for those situations:
Overcome temptation
Colossians 3:1-10 mentions several “groups” of temptations: immorality, impurity & passion, evil desire & malice, anger, wrath & slander, greed & idolatry, and abusive speech. We should pray in this manner: Jesus, I am facing temptation again with __________. I cannot overcome this but I know you can. I have crucified my personal responses and I choose to live out of you. Give me the strength. I focus on you and on what you can do in me.
Love an enemy
Jesus, I am feeling hurt and angry, and have no power to forgive, but I know you are the source of all love and you live in me. Be to me all that I need. Fill me with your love, your forgiveness and your compassion.
Build an impossible ministry
Jesus, you are telling me to do ______________. You know I don’t have the _____________ to do that, but you are the eternal source of might and power and I trust that you can do it in me. I have faith in you and I will walk each step as you lead me.
In closing, we must learn to give Him the Glory: Ephesians 3:20-21 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Fix your eyes on Jesus! For whatever you fix your eyes upon grows within you. Whatever grows within you, you become. When the branch is grafted into the Vine, where does the strength of the branch come from? Where does the life of the branch come from?
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