Crucified with Christ

“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.” (Galatians 2:20)

Among many of Paul’s writings, this verse in his letter to Galatians has powerful connotations that express his beliefs. Other verses provide an exegesis that may still defy credulity and have to be taken contextually. Here is my take:

Crucified/dead

As Paul was still alive when this was written, it is without question that he was speaking allegorically or metaphorically. And, this is how he considered himself, as we should.

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:4)

He was referring to “water baptism” as being “buried“,signifying “second eternal death”,(from sin), that as Christ was raised (spirit-composed resurrection) by the Father from the dead, so shall we have a “new life“, as promised through a process of “ongoing creation”.

Christ lives in me/current body, how?

We were created an “image/likeness“ of God, not after plants or animals

And we turned ourselves from Adam, into “marred clay“. But we have this treasure in us given as a gift(Holy Spirit) from the Father to Son then in us to re-form this jar of clay to be “one” with him, as in:

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7).NIV

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5) NIV

But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10). NIV

And this Holy Spirit is gifted “to me” through being “in me” and “writing his laws in heart and mind“, (no longer in stones) to form us.

“But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being“Galatians 1:15-16

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,“(Galatians 4:19)NIV

“…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love“(Ephesians 3:17).NIV

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.“(Colossians 1:27) “Christ in you”NIV

Live by faith, how?

Faith is “confidence, assurance and conviction” based on “reality, substance and evidence as in:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen Hebrews 11:1KJV

Faith is different from belief, hope or trust which are all “evidenced-based“. And faith comes from our eyes/ears being opened to truth through the gift of “in-dwelling Holy Spirit” that leads us to believe and trust.

End-point

And, the long and short of it all is to build the “kingdom of God“, and not a plant or animal kingdom. And, Jesus Ian the “author and finisher” of our faith. He is the, carpenter builder.

Summary

Indeed, we have to consider ourselves “crucified with Christ“, buried and “dead in sin” accounted from Adam’s sin. This is reflected/symbolized by “water baptism”. We could have been dead eternally were it not for the “faith OF Jesus” in the promise of the Father to him that resurrection to life is achievable.With this faith, evidenced-based as Jesus was with the Father from the beginning as WORD, he then had the assurance and conviction of his belief to trust that what the Father promised would be delivered.

And this promise to build the “kingdom of God” is a process that was authored, being built by Jesus and will reach fruition in due time.

God Bless 🙏😇

Original Post: 5/13/2019

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