Galatians 2:20 - How God can Turn Your Mess into a Masterpiece.
Galatians 2:20 (NIV) I have been crucified
with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ
lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live
by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and
gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20 (NLT) My old self has been
crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body
by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and
gave himself for me.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Several years ago, a noted violinist was
playing a concert to a very prominent crowd. He
walked out on stage and showed the audience his
violin. He told them, This violin is a
Stradivarius, one of the rarest and most valuable violins
in the world.
The violinist then proceeded to play one
of the most beautiful tunes the audience had
ever heard on his violin. But after he was
finished and the crowd had applauded heartily, he
took that violin and broke it into a thousand
pieces.
A collective gasp could be heard
throughout the auditorium. So after a few moments of
silence, that violinist said, That wasnt
actually a Stradivarius violin. I bought it today at
a pawn shop for 40 dollars. But I did this to
make a point: the violinist is much more
important than the violin. With that, he brought
out the real Stradivarius and finished his
concert.
Whats true in music is true with
people. Its not the talent or charisma of people,
but the one whos making the music that
matters. I realized long ago that I was just an old
violin completely inadequate on my own. But in the
hands of the Master, He can make beautiful music
in both my life and yours as well! [PowerPoint
Today by Jack Graham;
https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/powerpoint/]
INTRODUCTION
"For to me to live is Christ," he declared.
This is the most perfect interpretation in a few
words, in all the Scriptures, of what it means to
be a Christian. This is the whole truth of the
gospel. Paul understood what many seem unable to
comprehend. How intensely in earnest he was! His words
show that his mind was centered in Christ, that
his whole life was bound up with his Lord.
Christ was the author, the support, and the source
of his life (RH Oct. 19, 1897). 7BC903
COMMENTARY
Christ changes the heart. He abides in
your heart by faith. You are to maintain this
connection with Christ by faith and the continual
surrender of your will to Him; and so long as you do
this, He will work in you to will and to do
according to His good pleasure...
When we speak of faith, there is a
distinction that should be borne in mind. There is a
kind of belief that is wholly distinct from
faith. The existence and power of God, the truth of
His word, are facts that even Satan and his
hosts cannot at heart deny. The Bible says that
"the devils also believe, and tremble;" but this
is not faith. James 2:19. Where there is not
only a belief in God's word, but a submission of
the will to Him; where the heart is yielded to
Him, the affections fixed upon Him, there is
faith--faith that works by love and purifies the soul.
Through this faith the heart is renewed in the image
of God...
There are those who have known the
pardoning love of Christ and who really desire to be
children of God, yet they realize that their
character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they
are ready to doubt whether their hearts have
been renewed by the Holy Spirit. To such I would
say, Do not draw back in despair. We shall often
have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus
because of our shortcomings and mistakes, but we are
not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome
by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken
and rejected of God. No; Christ is at the right
hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Said the beloved John, "These things write I unto
you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have
an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous." 1 John 2:1. And do not forget the words of
Christ, "The Father Himself loveth you." John 16:27.
He desires to restore you to Himself, to see
His own purity and holiness reflected in you.
And if you will but yield yourself to Him, He
that hath begun a good work in you will carry it
forward to the day of Jesus Christ. Pray more
fervently; believe more fully. As we come to distrust
our own power, let us trust the power of our
Redeemer, and we shall praise Him who is the health of
our countenance. SC62-4
Human nature is ever struggling for
expression, ready for contest; but he who learns of
Christ is emptied of self, of pride, of love of
supremacy, and there is silence in the soul. Self is
yielded to the disposal of the Holy Spirit. Then we
are not anxious to have the highest place. We
have no ambition to crowd and elbow ourselves
into notice; but we feel that our highest place
is at the feet of our Saviour. We look to
Jesus, waiting for His hand to lead, listening for
His voice to guide. The apostle Paul had this
experience, and he said, "I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me, and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20.
MB15,16
'In our daily life,' we must regularly
crucify sinful desires that keep us from following
Christ. This too is a kind of dying with him (Luke
9:23-25). And yet the focus of Christianity is not
dying, but living... And 'in our daily life,' we
have Christ's resurrection power as we continue
to fight sin (Ephes. 1:19, 20). We are no
longer alone, for Christ lives in us - he is our
power for living and our hope for the future
(Colossians 1:27). [Life Application SB]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Changed from the Inside Out
When you believe in Christ, Christ works
a miracle in you. You are permanently purified
and empowered by God himself. The message of
Jesus to the religious person is simple: Its
not what you do. Its what I do. I have moved
in. And in time you can say with Paul, I
myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me
(Gal. 2:20).
If Im born again, why do I fall so
often?
Why did you fall so often after your
first birth? Did you exit the womb wearing
cross-trainers? Did you do the two-step on the day of your
delivery? Of course not. And when you started to walk,
you fell more than you stood. Should we expect
anything different from our spiritual walk?
But I fall so often, I question my
salvation. Again, we return to your first birth.
Didnt you stumble as you were learning to walk?
And when you stumbled, did you question the
validity of your physical birth? Did you, as a
one-year-old fresh flopped on the floor, shake your head
and think, I have fallen again. I must not be
human?
Of course not. The stumbles of a toddler
do not invalidate the act of birth. And the
stumbles of a Christian do not annul his spiritual
birth.
Do you understand what God has done? He
has deposited a Christ seed in you. As it grows,
you will change. Its not that sin has no more
presence in your life, but rather that sin has no
more power over your life. Temptation will pester
you, but temptation will not master you. What
hope this brings!
Hear this. Its not up to you! Within
you abides a budding power. Trust him!
Think of it this way. Suppose you, for
most of your life, have had a heart condition.
Your frail pumper restricts your activities. Each
morning at work when the healthy employees take the
stairs, you wait for the elevator.
But then comes the transplant. A healthy
heart is placed within you. After recovery, you
return to work and encounter the flight of
stairs"the same flight of stairs you earlier avoided.
By habit, you start for the elevator. But then
you remember. You arent the same person. You
have a new heart. Within you dwells a new power.
Do you live like the old person or the
new? Do you count yourself as having a new heart
or old? You have a choice to make.
You might say, I cant climb stairs;
Im too weak. Does your choice negate the
presence of a new heart? Dismiss the work of the
surgeon? No. Choosing the elevator would suggest only
one fact"you havent learned to trust your
new power.
It takes time. But at some point youve
got to try those stairs. Youve got to test
the new ticker. Youve got to experiment with
the new you. For if you dont, you will run
out of steam.
Religious rule keeping can sap your
strength. Its endless. There is always another
class to attend, Sabbath to obey, Ramadan to
observe. No prison is as endless as the prison of
perfection. Her inmates find work but never find peace.
How could they? They never know when they are
finished.
Christ, however, gifts you with a
finished work. He fulfilled the law for you. Bid
farewell to the burden of religion. Gone is the fear
that having done everything, you might not have
done enough. You climb the stairs, not by your
strength, but his. God pledges to help those who stop
trying to help themselves.
He who began a good work in you will
carry it on to completion until the day of Christ
Jesus (Phil. 1:6.) God will change you from the
inside out. [Max Lucado Daily Devotional at
maxlucado.com]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Train Your Mind to Remember God
The Bible tells us to pray all the
time (1 Thessalonians 5:17 The Message).
How is it possible to do this? One way is
to use breath prayers throughout the day,
as many Christians have done for centuries. You
choose a brief sentence or a simple phrase that can
be repeated to Jesus in one breath: You are
with me. I receive your grace. Im
depending on you. I want to know you. I
belong to you. Help me trust you.
You can also use a short phrase of
Scripture: For me, to live is Christ. You will
never leave me. You are my God.
Pray it as often as possible so it is
rooted deep in your heart. Just be sure that
youre motivated to honor God, not trying to
manipulate him into doing your own bidding.
Practicing the presence of God is a
skill, a habit you can develop. Just as musicians
practice scales every day in order to play beautiful
music with ease, you can learn how to think about
God at different times in your day. You can
train your mind to remember God.
At first you will need to create
reminders to regularly bring your thoughts back to the
awareness that God is with you in that moment. Begin
by placing visual reminders around you. You
might post little notes that say, God is with
me and for me right now!
If you are seeking an experience of his
presence through all of this, youve missed the
point. We dont praise God to feel good but to do
good. Your goal is not a feeling but a continual
awareness that God is always present. That is the
lifestyle of worship. [Daily Devotional by Rick
Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Galatians 2:20 - Dead Yet Alive.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220202-1004.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
