What is the meaning of Galatians 2:20? I have been crucified with Christ - In God’s eyes the old “me” died on the cross with Jesus. “We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless” (Romans 6:6). - The cross is the decisive break with the world’s grip: “The world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14). - Because “One died for all, therefore all died” (2 Corinthians 5:14), Christ’s death counts as ours. and I no longer live - “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). The old identity is gone. - A new creation has replaced it: “The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). - The flesh’s rule is finished: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24). but Christ lives in me - Union with Jesus means His risen life is inside: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). - He promised, “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you” (John 15:4). - Paul reminds believers, “Jesus Christ is in you” (2 Corinthians 13:5). The life I now live in the body - Salvation doesn’t remove us from everyday existence; our bodies become “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1). - “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit… therefore glorify God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). - Even suffering or death can magnify Christ: “Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20-21). I live by faith in the Son of God - Progress is by trusting, not striving: “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). - God insists, “My righteous one will live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38). - Faith secures victory: “This is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith” (1 John 5:4). who loved me and gave Himself up for me - The cross is deeply personal: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” (John 3:16). - “Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering” (Ephesians 5:2). - His love keeps conquering: “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). - “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). - He came “to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). summary Our old self died with Jesus; a new life—Christ Himself—now animates us. Everyday existence is lived in trusting dependence on the One who loved us enough to sacrifice Himself. Because His cross ended sin’s rule and His resurrection places Him within us, we are free to honor God in our bodies, walk by faith, and rest in the certainty of His personal, sacrificial love. |
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