Crucified

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” Galatians 2:19b-20 HCSB

Paul was telling the people of Galatia that they could not be saved by their own works, especially the works of the Law.  The new life they had in Christ had to be lived through Christ.  It is all the work of Christ by which we are saved and it is Him working through us that we are enabled to live the Christian life.  This idea is so radical that it is almost impossible to grasp in its entirety that my old way of life has died with Christ.  I must die and put my faith in Christ.  I die to my old way of living, thinking, and I now live by faith in Christ.  The thought behind this is He loved me and gave Himself for me!    

Through Christ I have an entirely new life.  I have been crucified with Him and I no longer live.  That scares many of us, but to truly live—my sinful way of life must die!  Christ must resurrect in me a new life, a new creation, the old is gone the new has come.  The life I now live as a Christian I live by putting all my trust in Christ. I can put my trust in Christ because He was willing to die for me, simply because He loved me.  He demonstrated this love for me, by putting Himself on the cross while I was still a sinner!  How can I in anyway bring shame to such a sacrifice?  How can I not live my life in a worthy matter of such love?  I don’t deserve it, I can’t earn it, I can only believe and tell everyone of a great and mighty God, who sent His one and only Son to die for me and by believing in Him I will not perish but have eternal life.  

Lord I praise you with all my heart!  There is no one like you and I put all of my trust, all of my life in you and you alone.  Help me to live a life that brings glory to the name of Jesus who loved me and gave Himself for me.  Lord I am so thankful and so humbled by the thought! Amen.