Dying to Live!

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“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:19-21

"Paul realized that on the cross, a great exchange occurred. He gave Jesus his old, try-to-be-right-before-God-by-the-law life, and it was crucified on the cross. Then Jesus gave Paul His life – Christ came to live in him. So Paul’s life wasn’t his own anymore, it belonged to Jesus Christ! Paul didn’t own his own life (that life died); he simply managed the new life Jesus gave him." - Guzik

These verses are a perfect summary of Paul's understanding of the Christian life. His understanding came about as he experienced God's life changing grace. He realized that he could gain a relationship with God by trying harder to be a good person without sin. He realized that was a losing battle and one that he could never win. 

So Paul uses the language that he has "died to the law". Meaning he has died and given up any hope of being made right with God by being a good person. He was crucified with Christ in the sense that Paul's life was nailed to the cross, as Jesus paid the great price for his sin. The satisfaction of his guilt opened up the door for a whole new way of life. This life is one of faith in Jesus. 

If he were to continue to try to earn his own salvation, he would be denying what Jesus did for him on the cross. He says if he or anyone could justify themselves by keeping the Law, then Jesus died for nothing. But Jesus did not die for nothing, he died for the salvation of anyone who would believe. 

Paul's new life is now characterized by Jesus living in him. His daily prayer is that he would live the life that Jesus would live if Jesus were him. This is the greatest truth of the Christian life. Many people get frustrated and feel very defeated by trying to live the Christian life in their own power. They fall to the same sins over and over and make the same commitment before God to not commit the same sins again. The problem is that they will do it again unless the live in Jesus' power. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead.

Can you say with Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ and the life I know live I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me!"?

Some may never have experienced this kind of life and importantly it is available to you any time you choose to trust in Jesus for your life and salvation.  Some have experienced it but have gone back to the slavery of the law, like the Galatians did. All you have to do is return to the life you once lived. If you are living the life Jesus wants you to live remember that there is always a temptation to go back to the law. 

I love what Martin Luther says about the relationship of the believer to the Law. 

“Blessed is the person who knows how to use this truth in times of distress. He can talk. He can say: ‘Mr. Law, go ahead and accuse me as much as you like. I know I have committed many sins, and I continue to sin daily. But that does not bother me. You have got to shout louder, Mr. Law. I am deaf, you know. Talk as much as you like, I am dead to you. If you want to talk to me about my sins, go and talk to my flesh. Belabor that, but don’t talk to my conscience. My conscience is a lady and a queen, and has nothing to do with the likes of you, because my conscience lives to Christ under another law, a new and better law, the law of grace.’” (Luther)


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