THEME: “LIFE IN CHRIST”
Text: GALATIANS 2:20
By: Adeoye, Emmanuel (Evang.)
Download Lesson
(THE CHRIST-LIFE FOR THE SELF LIFE)
Life In Christ Is The Substitution Of Christ-life For The Self-life, The Christ-will For The Self-will, So That Christ Becomes The Source Of All The Power For The Christian To Live Fruitfully And Successfully In His Service. That Is Exactly What Paul Taught In Gal 2:20 “I Have Been Crucified With Christ And It Is No Longer I That Live, But Christ Liveth in Me And That Life Which I Now Live In The Flesh I Liveth In Faith, the Faith Which Is In The Son Of God, Who Loved Me And Gave Himself Up For Me”.
It is man self life or self will that is the pivot of all his evil act-the spot which is vulnerable to the attack of Satan but the Christian who has committed and surrendered his life to Christ has been crucified with Christ uniting himself with the cross so that his self life, his pride, and fussy esteem has been killed .
The Death Of Self-life In The Cross Is Also Affirmed In Such Passages As GAL 5:24 “And That They Are Of Christ Jesus Have Crucified The flesh with the passion and the lusts thereof” then said Jesus unto his disciples if any man would come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”.
In Leaving Heaven To Exist In The Form Of Human Flesh And To Willingly Die On The Cross, Willingly Christ Denied His Divine Self. So The Christian Must Deny His Sinful Fleshly Self If He Would Have The Power Of The Crucified Resurrected Savior To Live The Christian Life. In Having The Self Life Destroyed At The Cross-The Christian Now Makes Christ The All In All His Life So That He Can Say “It Is No Longer I That Live But Christ Liveth In Me” What Is Christian Life: The Christian Life is Substituted For The Self Life Or Christ Living In The Christian.
Any Concept Of The Christian Life That fail To Center On The Fact Of The In Dwelling Christ Is Totally Foreign To The Teaching Of God Holy Word. The Spiritual Concept Of Christ Of Christ Dwelling In The Christian Is In Essences The Same As The Christian Dwelling To Christ. In Either Case Christ In The Christian Or The Christian In Christ The Leading Idea Is That Of The Christian subjection To Christ In All Things The Commitment Of His Entire Life To Christ And His Will.
Galatians 2:20 is a pivotal verse in the New Testament, summarizing the essence of the Christian life as a life lived by faith in Christ, not by self-effort or adherence to the law. The verse declares, “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.”
The Christ life; the opposite of a life NOT dominated by sin. and without the indwelling of the holy spirit sin gets in. “and hereby we know that he abided in us by the spirit which he gave us”. “for they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit.
for the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the spirit is life and peace: because the mind of the flesh is an enmity against God; For It Is Not Subject To The Law Of God Neither Indeed Can It Be And They That Are In The Flesh Cannot Please God but ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit; if so be that the spirit of God dwelled in you.
But if any man hath not the spirit of christ he is none of his. and if christ is in you the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. but if the spirit of him that raised up jesus from the dead dwelled in you, he that raised up Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through the spirit that dwelled in you.
KEY ASPECTS OF THE EXEGESIS:
CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST:
This phrase signifies a spiritual union with Christ’s death on the cross. THROUGH FAITH, BELIEVERS ARE IDENTIFIED WITH CHRIST’S DEATH, DYING TO THEIR OLD, SINFUL SELVES AND THE POWER OF SIN.
NO LONGER I WHO LIVE:
This highlights the shift from a self-centered existence to a Christ-centered one. The old self, dominated by sin, is rendered powerless, and the believer’s desires and actions are now directed by Christ living within.
CHRIST LIVES IN ME:
This emphasizes the indwelling presence and transformative power of Christ through the Holy Spirit. Believers are not merely imitating Christ; they are empowered by His very life to live a new kind of life.
BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD:
This underscores the ongoing dependence on Christ for daily living. The Christian life is not a one-time event of salvation, but a continuous process of trusting in Christ’s love and provision for all aspects of life.
WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME:
This provides the motivation for this new life. It highlights the boundless love of Christ, who sacrificed Himself for humanity’s redemption, and the gratitude that should drive believers to live for Him.
In essence, Galatians 2:20 presents a powerful paradox: A life that is both dead to self and alive in Christ, a life that is lived not by human effort but by faith in the son of god who loves and empowers. This verse calls believers to a radical transformation, a daily surrender of self to Christ, and a reliance on His grace for every aspect of their existence.
SEVEN (7) ESSENTIALS FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
- SEEK GOD, NOT SIN: AMOS 5:4
God is the life-giver. We will find life in no other. But as sinful creatures, our hearts are naturally prone to wander from our Creator. Our souls were made to pursue God, know God, and walk with God – nothing else. It’s only as we pursue Him that we live. In the book of Amos, God tries over and over again to get the attention of His people.
He allows them to experience famine, drought, and pestilence and yet, as God says in Amos 4:11, “you have not returned to me.” But Amos 5:4 reminds us of where life is found. God says, “Seek me that you may live.” These words should get our attention. We will only find life in seeking Him.
- FEAR GOD, NOT MEN. PROVERBS 19:23
Our God is holy and is the Lord God Almighty. When I think of the power He holds, I can’t help but fear Him and hold Him in reverential awe. Do you care more about what men think of you than God? Then learn to fear God, and you will be preoccupied in walking in His presence, not wondering what other people think of you. You will begin to live your life in light of eternity, and the temporal views of men won’t matter anymore. The fear of the Lord also keeps us from evil and sin.
A.W. Tozer writes, “It is impossible to keep our moral practices sound and our inward attitudes right while our idea of God is erroneous or inadequate.” When we lose the fear of God and don’t respect Him and His commandments, we are going to live our lives without accountability to God and one another, which is the cause of a number of sins.
3.“LOVE GOD, NOT THE WORLD (1 JOHN 2:15-17)”
What is the object of your affections? Power? Recognition? Hobbies? Not too long ago, I visited an unbelievable house, and as I walked around it, for just a moment my thought was, “I could have had a house like this.” But I was reminded that a house is not what life is all about. The world is seeking to seduce us into a love affair, but we must love God and be preoccupied with pleasing Him alone.
We must also love His people and be concerned about their eternal destiny. We must look at them with compassion, like Jesus, and be moved with action to do something for them. Those who love God will do what He wants and be concerned about His mission and His will, and they will fulfill His calling.
- BELIEVE GOD, NOT THE DECEIVER. JOHN 8:44
As believers, sometimes we don’t want to believe the truth. When life and Scripture collide, which one do you believe and trust? The deceiver wants us, to believe the lie. Will you believe God? The Scriptures tell us that without faith it is impossible to please God, but our nature is to move toward unbelief.
Never forget that your adversary is the father of lies. He wants to destroy you, so he works to make us doubt the promises and to accuse the brethren.
- OBEY GOD, NOT OUR APPETITES:
1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27
Our appetites are the passions that we have within our flesh, contrary to the spirit, craving and battling to be satisfied. If you give in even the slightest to these desires, the enemy can use that to launch an attack in your life. At the same time, the same trivial act in obedience to God may be used to launch a powerful life-changing ministry.
Obedience To God Demands Two Main Things.
It demands courage to say No to self, No to appetites, No to lusts of the flesh, No to what’s easy, and yes to carrying the cross.
It also demands faithfulness–the plodding endurance to God, to his call, and to that which He calls you to suffer. Only by yielding to the cross can you obey God, not your appetites.
- SERVE GOD, NOT SELF: (ISAIAH 6:8)
The concept of becoming a “BOND SLAVE” in the Scriptures means that we are the slaves, and He is the master. That means that we must surrender completely without reservation. Many would see this type of service as lowly, and it is humbling, but it should be seen as a privilege to serve such a loving Lord.
- WORSHIP GOD, NOT COMFORT
HABAKKUK 3:17-18
I don’t know anyone who enjoys suffering, but I do know many who have benefited from the growth that occurs as a result. Are you celebrating God and worshiping Him in the midst of your pain or do you seek comfort by escaping it? When suffering comes, we must move through the pain to the God who allowed it to come to fruition.
When we escape, we miss the comfort God gives in the midst of that pain.
We worship God through music, prayer, and God’s Word,. But we should also worship God in the midst of suffering and pain.
CONCLUSION
Choose a close friend or accountability partner and share with him or her the areas where you need help and prayer. Soon, you will begin to experience a healthier life–mentally, emotionally, and spiritually balance of the Christian life.
Download Lesson
