No longer I

No longer I

‭‭Galatians 2:20 AMP‬‬

[20] I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

As you read the whole of Galatians 2, you note the limits of the old life and the endless possibilities that have now become possible in the new life provided through the death and resurrection of Jesus. The old life laid so much emphasis on works and labour, and men rose and fell on the basis of what they did and the sacrifices they offered. However, that process had its flaws, and God had to lay down another path, which did not lay enohasis on what I could do, but on what Hs had first done. The focus shifted from me having to earn salvation and approval from God to God offering me salvation and approval by the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. Yes, there was still an action, but this time, it came from God. I only had to walk into that finished work and take advantage of all that is on offer. Am I still stuck on trying to 'earn" good grades with God? 

This will not happen by accident, or by osmosis or diffusion. It will be the result of a conscious and deliberate decision to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. What this means is that I accept the death of Jesus on the cross as God offering me the chance to die to sin. The cross is the place where sin was dealt a deadly and final blow. A life was taken to pay for the sin of the whole world, in linc with the will of God. Sin was paid for with the life of the son of God. If that was the final story, we would be in trouble because we would have just died, with no hope of life thereafter. Jesus did not just pay the price for sin by dying; He also offered us life, full and free, by being raised from the dead. It is by resurrection that eternal life with God us signed, sealed and delivered to all who come to put their trust in this finished work of Jesus. This is a critical decision that has to be sorted out by all of us today. 

The death and resurrection of Jesus is the guarantee of eternal life with God, and maybe the expectation is that as soon as I have surrendered my life to Jesus, I should simply be taken to heaven to be with Jesus. However, God keeps me on earth as the testament to His power and grace. I had an old life going nowhere, but now, I have a new life making impact for God. Paul understood this, and that is why he referred to this new life as one that is lived in daily appreciation of what Jesus did. The old life was not going to win God's approval; only the life made available in Jesus is the only one that could. I do not need to win God's approval by labour; I simply live by faith in the finished work on the cross, and enjoy all that this new life has sealed for me. It is no longer my life; but Jesus living in and through me. Please be sure your life is now in Jesus. That is the only path to eternal life with God. God's time of favour is here.