Reflections on Galatians 2:20
“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.” Galatians 2:20 (NLT)
My old self— How I lived without Jesus…my old way of thinking, of choosing, of doing…me at the center, not Him; my will being done, not His; my pleasure being pursued, not His.
Has been crucified with Christ— Not something God will one day do, but something He has already done…When Christ died, my old way of living died with Him. Past tense…“has been”…my old self is a “has been”…thank God it is so!
It is no longer I who live— The old way of living is over…not improved upon, patched-up, painted over, or made better…all things have become new…there is nothing about my old (selfish) self that is worth bringing into my new life in Christ.
But Christ lives in me— Christ…not an “ideal” I try and live up to, but a person who is alive IN me. He participates IN my life as Lord, and I participate in His life as His servant; He participates IN my life as the vine, and I participate in His life as the branch; He participates IN my life as the Light, I participate in His life as the one who reflects His radiance; He participates IN my life as the Shepherd, and I participate in His life by placing my trust in His leading and wholly following Him.
So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me— I have never been so fully alive, free, fresh …new wine, new joys, new purpose. My trust is in Him, not my resources; my confidence is in Him, not my abilities; my victory is in Him, not my accomplishments. I can trust the one who loves me…who gave Himself for me…the one who gives and gives, over and over again.
Buried with Christ and raised with Him, too,
What is there left for me to do?
Simply to cease from struggling and strife,
Simply to walk in newness of life.
—T. Ryder
By Roy Lessin
Used by Permission
FURTHER READING
Clean House – Jesus is our big vacuum cleaner. He has taken all our grit away. He has cleaned house.
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