I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20, NASB)
The verse above is one of my favorites. I “say” it several times each day. It helps me to remember Whose I am, and that love should be the basis of my actions. Do I still mess things up? Oh yes! God is still working on me, and will be until He calls me home. In the meantime, I’m grateful to Him for this verse.
Apostle Paul writes this letter to Christ’s church in Galatia. He gets into a discussion about faith vs. works. His point is that we’re justified (made just before a holy God) by our faith, not by trying to comply with the Law of Moses (which is impossible to do). This verse fits into his argument, in that once we’re saved, we live by faith in Jesus, and that’s what sustains us.
What does it mean to be “crucified with Christ”? To me, it means that I identify with His crucifixion, death, and resurrection. It means my old self is gone and dead. My old sin nature and my sins have been nailed to the cross.
Galatians 2:20 image. Found at Knowing Jesus, https://devotion.knowing-jesus.com/crucified-with-christ
I no longer live, “but Christ lives in me.” The Holy Spirit, Christ in me, dwells in me. I’m a tabernacle, a temple of the living God. He’s here as Helper, as Teacher.
I live my life now by faith in Jesus Christ. It’s what sustains me. I could no longer live without Him.
He “loved me and gave Himself up for me.” I read recently about how much Jesus loves me (paraphrasing): I asked Jesus how much He loves me. With His arms stretched out wide, He answered, “I love you this much!” And then His hands were nailed to the cross.
Jesus went to the cross willingly, and He did it for me and for you. He took the punishment we deserve, not because of anything we did to earn it, but because God loves us so much, He sent Jesus as our Substitute. Do you love Him?