Galatians: The Life I Now LiveSample

Just as our justification comes by faith, not by law-keeping, so once we are saved, we do not turn back to the law. There is a whole new way of living this new life, and it comes from being united to Christ in His death and His life. 

Living a life of moral effort does not justify anyone. With respect to the law, Paul could have said, ‘I learned. I tried. I failed.’ The law had shown him to be a failed sinner, so he stopped trying to find life that way. Instead of looking to the law, that is to himself, Paul had discovered what it meant to live for God (v. 19). 

In verse 20 Paul explains the key feature of this new way of living. As he looks to Christ instead of to his own efforts, he so identifies himself with Christ that he sees himself as co-crucified, and also now co-living with Him. 

To ponder Christ dying for us is staggering, but Paul goes further. He saw himself as so united to Christ that when Christ died, Paul died. Is that a strange thought? Actually, what a relief it is! After all our striving and failure, that futile self-effort life is finished: it is dead with Jesus. 

More than that, when we think about the living Christ, we are thinking about the new life which is ours! Jesus did not just rise from the dead to give us life after we die. Jesus lives and wants to give us life now! 

How can we still be in the same body, yet have a whole new life? By faith: as we fix the gaze of our hearts on Christ, looking intently at Him, instead of looking at ourselves and our efforts, we discover His life is now our life. 

When this new life grips us, verse 21 brings us full circle to the thought of verse 16. Why would we want to set aside God’s grace and waste our time trying to be good enough in our own strength? It never worked before, and turning back to ourselves would make Christ’s death pointless. 

Reflection

Which do you prefer: to look at yourself and your continual failure to live up to your own standards? Or to look at Christ, who loved you and gave Himself for you? Your flesh will pull you toward the first option, but there should be no contest: He is better by far!