Galatians 2:19-20

19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Have you ever measured your Christian performance by how well you are keeping rules or by how much great work you are doing for God?  Better yet, have you measured other people’s performances by that standard? We all have.  It is part of our broken nature to seek to feel better about ourselves at the expense of others.  It’s what religion trains us to do.

Paul makes a very interesting point in today’s passage.  In order to live for God, one must die to the law. What’s interesting about that?  Well, it means that it isn’t possible to live for the law and God at the same time. We can’t tout the Ten Commandments and make our lives about keeping them and also claim to be living for God.  If we are living to the law, we aren’t living to God.

The reason for this is the law itself.  The law demanded death for transgressions.  The sacrifice of sheep, bulls and goats under the law could not take away sin.  It only covered it temporarily. Consequently, the law went unfulfilled until Jesus came as a man, embodied sin according to 2 Corinthians 5:21, and died a sinner’s death.  Based upon His finished work, the law is fulfilled. Continued effort to live to the law is vain and is a clever distraction that fools many Christians who believe that they are living to God.

Paul said that he died to the law through the law because he was crucified with Christ.  When we receive salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, we become partakers of His death. We are credited with having died to the law and also with having been raised again with Him as new creations.  That’s why it is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us. When God sees you with your faith in Jesus, He sees Jesus. He doesn’t see a sinner saved by grace. He sees His fully perfected Son.   

“It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.”  If we insist on being alive to the law, then we aren’t allowing Christ to live in us.  That means that we haven’t been crucified with Him, and therefore we haven’t been raised with Him.  If those things don’t occur, we have no relationship with the Father. Instead of pursuing religion, brave grace.  Die to the law so that you can truly live to God.

Day 12