No Longer I Who Live

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.”

 

When we believe in Jesus Christ with God-given faith, we are crucified with him in death to sin, and we are raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Our old self is crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. Therefore, we are not to let sin reign any longer in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions, for Jesus set us free from our slavery to sin so we would now live for him.

 

For if we continue in deliberate and habitual sin, and righteousness and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, it will end in death, not in life eternal. For although we may profess him with our lips, if sin is what we practice, and if obedience to our Lord is not what we practice, then our hearts are far from him. We don’t really know him and he doesn’t really know us. And we will not enter the kingdom of heaven regardless of what we have been promised by other humans.

 

So, when this says that “it is no longer I who live,” it is speaking of the flesh. Our flesh was put to death with Christ. It is to no longer reign supreme. We still live in flesh bodies, so we still have a propensity to sin, so we must guard against all temptation to sin. But sin and the flesh are no longer to have mastery over our lives. Our minds should now be set on things above and not on things on the earth. We are to no longer walk according to the flesh, but now according to the Spirit.

 

Now in place of the flesh, it is Christ who lives in us if we truly have died with him to sin and we are walking in obedience to his commands. But it isn’t just that his presence is within us, by his Spirit, but that we are to submit to his Lordship, and surrender all to him, and we are to let him live his life in us and out through us for his praise and glory. Now we are to be God’s holy people, living lives separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being made into the likeness of Christ.

 

So now we walk by faith and not by sight. We follow Jesus in obedience to his commands, and we forsake our sinful practices. And he gives us all that we need to live holy lives surrendered to him. For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, trains us to renounce (say ‘no’ to) ungodliness and fleshly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait our Lord’s soon return. For Jesus died on that cross that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness.

 

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

 

Jesus, Lead Me  

 

An Original Work / July 22, 2011

 

Jesus, lead me all the way.

Be my hope and be my stay.

Gently lead me where I should go,

So Your Spirit, I want to know.

Open up my heart to You.

Fill me with Your love and truth.

Make my heart want to obey.

Be my Lord today. Gently lead always.

 

Jesus, lover of my soul,

Cleanse my heart, and make me whole;

Be transformed in my heart today,

As I turn from my sin and pray.

Make Your will known to my heart.

May I not from You depart.

How I long to hear You now,

As I humbly bow. Jesus, hear me now.

 

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