Crucified With Christ

"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."  Galatians 2:19-21 

Sometimes our spiritual walks can become more about maintaining habits, rituals and traditions than about pursuing Christ and living by faith.  Our lives can be characterized by the expectations we meet, rather than by the spiritual depth we've uncovered.  There is a big difference between being motivated by obligation and being motivated by the love of Christ compelling you to respond with heart felt worship.  It's not a new problem.  It can sometimes feel like we are going through the motions, and day after day we grow stale to the things of Christ.  

We are called to live a Christian life the same way we become Christians in the first place--by faith.  Relying on Christ, not ourselves.  

As Paul wrote to the Galatians, he wanted to clarify and defend the truth of the gospel against those who wanted to add works to the requirements for salvation.  He wanted them to recapture the fact that Christ living in them was what brought them to life.  Christ.  Not the worship service, not the traditions, not the programs, or classes, not even the people who you sit by every Sunday-- but Christ.  

You see Peter had come to Antioch and refused to eat with the Gentiles because of pressure from Jewish leaders.  Peter backed down--and Paul called him on it.  (Don't you love Paul?)  This was absolutely unacceptable to Paul.  While he did not question Peter's salvation, he did question why he would make such a selfish decision when he had the love of Christ in him.  

This passage says that we have been crucified with Christ.  Crucified.  Have we been?  Have we really died to ourselves?  Or are we just pretending?  Being crucified with Christ implies a radical, final, irreversible transformation.  Jesus didn't suffer and die so we could be sorry and live a life that blends in almost flawlessly with the world--He died so we could be transformed.  

We are changed forever when we place our trust in Christ.  Are we still tempted?  Absolutely.  Do we fail?  Yes, often.  And when we yield to our own strength instead of the power of Christ in us, we most certainly will fail.  But we don't have to.  We are no longer slaves to sin.  We have the freedom to say no.  We have the power of Christ in us to resist temptation. 

Peter's refusal to eat with the Gentiles perturbed Paul.  Peter was still clinging to his old way of life.  But Peter had trusted Christ, and was crucified to his old way of life.  Why would he return to that old way of life if he were living in the power of the Spirit?  He did the same thing a lot of us do--he yielded to temptation.  And because of that snap decision risked losing an opportunity to show the love of Christ.  

We have to see who we are in Christ.  We cannot communicate effectively what we have not embraced fully.  Christ can transform the way we live, and transform our will.  

Peter had missed out on what God was doing with the Gentiles.  Paul was saying to Peter you are hindering the advancement of the gospel by the way you are living.  You are too stubborn to let this issue go!  

It begs the question, how are we hindering the advancement of the gospel?  Are we missing the point?  Are we yielding to our own wants and desires, and missing a deeper calling of obedience to the cause of Christ? 

Christ died that He might live in us.  We die with Him so that He might live through us.  

I no longer live.  

Christ lives in me. 

Either God's grace is sufficient, or Jesus' death was pointless.  

You can't have it both ways.