Galatians 2:20 ESV
“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,” that means “me,” my flesh has been put to death with
Christ. My flesh no longer reigns supreme in my life. Yes, I still live in a
flesh body, and yes, I am still tempted to sin, and I still have the propensity
to sin, but I am no longer under the power and control (bondage) of sin. Amen!
Glory to God!
I was buried with Christ by baptism into death in order
that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, I
might too walk in newness of life. For, my old self was crucified with Christ
in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that I would no
longer be enslaved to sin (ref: Rom 6:1-7). Amen! Praise Jesus!
What this means for me is that I am no longer to let sin
reign in my body, to make me obey its passions. I am not to present any part of
me as an instrument for unrighteousness. But I am to present myself to God as
one who has been brought from death to life, and as an instrument for his
righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over me (Ref: Rom 6:12-14). Praise
the Lord! All glory to God!
For, if I present myself to anyone as an obedient slave, I
am a slave of the one whom I obey, either of sin, which leads to DEATH, or of
obedience, which leads to RIGHTEOUSNESS. But now that I have been set free from
the power of sin, I have become a slave of righteousness (ref: Rom 6:15-19).
It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
When, by faith in
Jesus Christ, I died with Christ to sin, so that I would no longer be under the
control of sin, Jesus Christ, in the person of the Holy Spirit, came into my
life to live within me and to be my life. He is now my Lord and master and he
is the one in control of my life.
Now, although this
is instantaneous, it is also a process. Daily we must deny self and die to sin
and follow our Lord in obedience. If we do sin, we repent of the sin and we
keep moving forward in the power of God’s Spirit within us. For, life in the
Spirit is not the same as life in the flesh. We are now to be changed (Rom
8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Lu 9:23-26; Tit 2:11-14).
Now Christ lives in
me in place of me (my flesh). I am still me, i.e. I am still the person God
created that I should be. But I am a transformed me of the Spirit of God away
from living to sin and to self to now living to God and to his righteousness.
But I can still sin, so I must daily surrender to Him.
But now my life is
yielded to Christ to do his will and for him to live his life in me and through
me for his glory and praise. And this is why I must daily be putting to death
the deeds of the flesh, and I must be putting on the armor of God with which to
fight off Satan’s evil schemes against 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.”
Even though I still
live in a flesh body, which is at war with the Spirit, I no longer live
according to the flesh, but I now live (walk, conduct my life) according to the
Spirit of God, by the grace of God, through God-given faith in Jesus Christ, my
Lord (Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Lu 9:23-26).
This is not to say
that I am perfect, for Jesus was the only perfect (sinless) person I know of. But
this is also not saying that I am still enslaved to sin or that it is what I
practice. And we all need to understand this distinction, for the Scriptures
require that we walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh if
we want salvation from sin and eternal life with God.
But “I” can’t do this! I can’t live a holy life pleasing to
God in my own flesh and in my own strength and willpower. ONLY by the grace of
God and through God-given faith in Jesus Christ can I (or anyone) live a godly
and holy life pleasing to God. And this can only happen if I yield control of
my life over to the Lord and if I submit my will to his.
So, why did Jesus give his life up for me (and for you)? It
was not just so we could be forgiven our sins, and so we could escape hell, and
so we could go to heaven when we die. He died that we might die with him to sin
and live to him and to his righteousness. By his grace we are saved (1 Pet
2:24).
And what does God’s grace instruct us to do? It instructs us
to say “NO!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts and to live self-controlled,
upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s soon return (Tit 2:11-14).
Oh,
to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics
by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music
by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s
treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of
compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the
fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy
love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy
fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg
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