Christ Lives in Me

Gal. 2:19-21

 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 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. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Paul was addressing the area of Judaism, the area of Gentiles having to become circumcised. He pointed out that with God there is no partiality whether one is uncircumcised or circumcised. In Christ we have been set free the law. Paul even went so far as to call down Peter at one point, saying,  But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?" What a powerful question! How wonderful to have one's own life totally in agreement with the truth of the gospel! Shouldn't we as believers today be just as strong about the truth of the gospel as Paul was? Perhaps the problem is that we don't always know the truth of the gospel. What a shame to have the Truth in written word and in the indwelling Christ at our ready access and yet be so truly unknown in our hearts and in our heads!

Even though Paul and Peter were Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, they fully knew that their salvation was by faith in Jesus. Faith not works! In essence the law died so that many might live to God. Paul stated clearly that through this very same law, he was able to die to the law in order that he could live to Jesus. Like Paul, I too must say,  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. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. What a blessing from the Father of all blessings! 

How mind-altering is it to realize the Christ lives in me and I in Him. My life is nothing without Jesus! And my life in the present and the future [until I am called home] is only through faith in Jesus and in the grace that He has so freely gives.  Adding any human tradition or works-oriented salvation would only nullify the cross and the death of Jesus which came at such great cost. It would be trampling over the glorious grace of God, the grace that is the believer's all-sufficiency. To the praise of His glory!

Father,

Thank You for Jesus, for faith, for salvation, and for Your amazing grace. You have transformed my life. Give me Your strength to see You for all I need to grow in grace. 

In Jesus name,

Amen