Galatians 2:20 - Dying to Self and Living for Christ.
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
What does it mean to take up the cross?
Sometimes people think it means that whatever is
bothering them or plaguing them is their cross to
bear.
But that isnt what Jesus meant when He
said, If anyone desires to come after Me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,
and follow Me (Luke 9:23 NKJV).
The cross symbolizes the same thing to
every person. It speaks of dying to ourselves and
putting Gods will before our own. Taking up the
cross is exchanging our plans for His plans.
Its when we stop trying to seek life and instead
seek God.
So many people today are trying to find
purpose in life. What is life about? What is the
meaning of it?
The meaning of life, the purpose of life,
is to know God. And the best life to live is
the Christian life. To live it the most
effectively, we must take up our cross and follow Jesus
Christ.
The Scottish theologian Samuel Rutherford
said of the cross, Christs cross is the
sweetest burden that ever I bore; it is such a burden
as wings are to a bird, or sails to a ship, to
carry me forward to my harbor.
Its through death to ourselves that we
find life. Its through exchanging our plans
for Gods that we find the best. We find life
as it was meant to be lived.
The apostle Paul said, I have been
crucified with Christ; 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 gave Himself for me
(Galatians 2:20 NKJV).
When we lay aside our personal desires
and ambitions, God will reveal the desires and
plans that He has for us. [Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
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 PEARL
The Living Christ
Jesus Christ was crucified between two
thieves on a rugged cross on Calvary, just outside
Jerusalem. Think of it: The very Son of God came down
from Heaven and 'humbled Himself and became
obedient to the point of death, even the death of the
cross" (Phil 2:8).
Jesus gave His head to the crown of
thorns for us. He gave His face to the human
spittle for us. He gave His cheeks and His beard to
be plucked out for us. He gave His back to the
lash for us. He gave His side to the spear for
us. He gave His hands and feet to the spikes for
us. He gave His blood for us. Jesus Christ,
dying in our place, taking our sins on that cross,
is God's love in action.
But that's not the end of the story. He
rose again, and He is the living Christ. If
Christ is not alive, there is no hope for any of
us. But He is alive! And because He is, "he is
able to save completely those who come to God
through him, because he always lives to intercede
for them" (Heb. 7:25 NIV). Hallelujah! [Hope for
Each Day by Billy Graham]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Galatians 2:20 - How God can Turn Your Mess
into a Masterpiece.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220328-0836.html
Galatians 2:20 - Dead Yet Alive.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220202-1004.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150922-1838.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2007/20071105-0441.html
2 Corinthians 5:15 - Living for Jesus!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/1998/19980929-1636.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
