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Crucified with Christ

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who gave Himself for me.


This verse reminds me of the first Heidelberg Catechism that we use as a confession of faith in our church sometimes.

Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own, but belong body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him.


“I am not my own.” Such a crazy, wonderful statement. Not only do I not own myself, I belong, wholly, fully to my Savior. “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me...”


That also means I don't have to be good enough. I can't be good enough. I needed to be saved from my sins. And I have been. I have received the most amazing, undeserving gift of salvation, and forgiveness.


Paul says we have been crucified with Christ. Our old man, the old desires, have been destroyed. We do not walk around as dead men, pretending to do good, following every whim and desire. We have so much more to live for! And we do not od it alone! “Christ lives in me...”


There are days, all too frequently, when life feels overwhelming. Those darn thorns in the flesh are just so painful...I have to eat the cookie, I have to see what everyone else is doing on Facebook, I am about to lose it with these kids and their boundary testing! But we are called to more, and capable of so much more. We have a calling beyond responding to our emotions. We have a law, a standard to keep, given us in God's word We won't be able to do this perfectly, though we must try.


More importantly, we have help! We have faith in the Son of God, who died and gave Himself for us. We don't have to focus on how we did or didn't do to know that we have been saved by grace. The days when everything feels too hard and we fail again and again and again, there is forgiveness.


By no means does this excuse our sin. But it means we don't have to beat ourselves up for it. Repent, turn to God, ask for forgiveness, and do better next time.


Take a look at how things have been lately. Have you generally been eating well, using time wisely, avoided whatever is your particular trigger? Is this a short, momentary slip up? Then let it be just that: a slip up. Don't slide down the path you have been working so hard to give up!


Do keep in mind the words of Romans 6:1-2: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” There is no excuse for unrepentant sin. Just because it is easy or comfortable does not make it right.


We are a new creation. We have been called to live a life glorifying to God. Because we have been saved by His death on the cross, we can live a life that is pleasing to Him. Even when we do not do things perfectly, we can rest in knowing we still belong to Him, body and soul.
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