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. [galatians 2:20]
if there is one verse in the Bible that i have rehearsed, meditated on, and repeated to myself over and over more than any other, it is this one. galatians 2:20 contains precious truths that have kept me from sin hundreds–or even thousands of times. this is why scripture memory is so important, having truth that you can grab onto for dear life is necessary for our daily battles. as Jesus tells satan in the wilderness:
but he answered, “It is written,
“‘man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” [matthew 4:4]
we are to eat and drink and consume his Word–be sustained by it and live by it!
and i have eaten many times and been satisfied by the truths in this passage. galatians 2:20 has been so precious to me because it promises:
i have been crucified with Christ. when he called me and i ran into his arms, he promised me death. death to my flesh, death to my sin, death to death. i was baptized, symbolizing my death to this world. i have no merit in myself, i have been crucified.
it is no longer i who live. i am no longer identified by my name, my income, my job, my social class, my ancestors, the circumstances of my childhood, my personality type, my genetics, my flesh–i no longer live to this world!
but Christ who lives in me. Christ! we live day to day not as slaves to sin and victims but as temples of the Holy God! how could we go on sinning brothers and sisters? we have Christ in us–the hope of Glory! [colossians 1:27] we have his victory!
the life i now live in the flesh. we are not yet perfected, and we still must live in a dying world of dying people. we groan inwardly for the redemption of our bodies [romans 8:23], seeing the fleshly way that our unsaved neighbors, friends, and coworkers live–we are here in the flesh so that we might be ambassadors of Christ–! we live in sanctified flesh now, because there are others who need to be told the good news and be reconciled to God! [2 corinthians 5:20]
i live by faith in the Son of God. faith is from God–and to God. we do not have faith in something that is not stable and sure, but we have faith in the God who has kept his promise through all generations, he promised he would send his Son [isaiah 7:14, among others] and God is much pleased with his Son [matthew 3:17, matthew 17:5] we should enjoy and be satisfied with the Son as well!
who loved me and gave himself for me. i am free from self-love and the need for the love of man. i have an infinite God who, while i was still a miserable, weak, ungodly wretched sinner, he died for me in love [romans 5:8]. he loved me perfectly.
eat and drink deeply of God’s word. meditate on Christ’s death and his resurrection! store up the precious words of the gospel in your heart so that when you are tempted to forget who you are, to look, to behold–
“behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! [john 1:29b]
the tomb is empty! Christ has risen!
~ conor eastman