I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 KJV
True life starts at the foot of the cross. All of life's achievements are a fluke, unless they are based on the experience of the cross. If my life will have meaning and make impact, it must be rooted in the cross, so it can also flow out with the life of Christ, which is the whole essence of the Easter season.
I am crucified with Christ- if I am truly a Christian, I have partaken in the experience of the cross. When he bore my sins and went down to the grave, he took me along with Him. It was my sins that took Him down this path, and it is His resurrection that secures life for me. I can't claim His life if I have not partaken in His death. I can't claim the benefits if I have not borne the detriments.
Crucifixion meant death. If I have been crucified, I should be dead to the things that took me to the cross in the first place. If I am still sstruggling to live above sin, maybe I am still relying too much on my own strength or wisdom to live right. The cross teaches that I cannot do it by myself; I need the help of the Holy Spirit to live right. So, if I have come to the cross and picked up the true life on offer, I cannot then live as I please anymore. I serve a different master now; I live by a different code now. It is not the same old measure anymore. That's the essence of this piece:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.
The strength required to live right is supplied in Christ. The life I live now finds essence in Christ. I live by different standards; faith in Christ becomes the whole drive. Even though I am in this weak flesh, I depend daily on the grace and help available in Christ: the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God. Is that true about your present life? And the example of Christ becomes both a burden and a lesson. He loved us when we were not really lovable, snd and He paid the full price for our redemption when we had nothing to offer Him in return. Do you think then that this sacrifice would be for nothing? Do you think that there will not be a price to pay if you reject this free gift to the end?
Recent events further underscore the fact that we are in the end times. All we think we know are being challenged and nothing is ever what it has always been. However, one thing is certain: the immutable nature of God's Word. He offers life to all who come to Him, and He secures eternal life for all who trust Him to the end. ....who loved me, and gave himself for me. He gave His all for me, and one day, He will return and demand all of me. Would I be able to give Him my all: sanctified, redeemed and rapturable? His time of favour is here.
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