by Ronnie Hewitt
Galatians 2:20 “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.”
Paul describes his relationship with Christ in terms of a profound personal attachment to Jesus. He is completely reliant upon the Lord. Those who have faith in Christ live their lives in intimate union with their Lord, both in His death and in His resurrection.
All believers have been crucified with Christ on the cross. They have died to the law as a means of salvation and now live through Christ for God (Gal 2:19). Because of salvation in Christ, sin no longer has control over them. Therefore, we who have been crucified with Christ now live with His strength within us, as it becomes the source of all of life and the center of our thoughts, words and deeds.
As Paul said in Romans 6:11, we are to “count ourselves dead to sin.” Because sin has been dethroned, we must continually resist its effort to regain control (Rom 6:12). Since sin attempts to reign primarily through the desires of the body, these desires must be resisted by those of us who have faith in Christ. We must deny the evil desires, refusing to submit any part of our body at the disposal of sin, as we present our whole person to God and His righteousness.
Paul’s understanding of justification and righteousness (Gal 2:16-17) included more than a mere legal declaration by God. It also involved a moral change of heart; where having a relationship with Christ involved a total commitment to live for Him through His power living in us.
Is Christ living in you?