The Faith Life

Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ: and I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Life Application Bible)

If we had to ask Paul, “What is your part in living life, if you no longer live, but Christ lives in you?” He would answer out of Galatians 2:19-21.

“What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it did not work. So, I quit being a ‘law man’ so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with Him, indeed I’ve been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It’s no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. This life you see me living is not ‘mine’, but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to the old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.” (The Message Bible)

Paul’s whole life, day by day and all day long, was one of unceasing faith in God, who is Love. This Love, after all, had given ‘Himself’ for Paul. Faith was the power that possessed and permeated Paul’s whole being and his every action.

Here we have the simple but full statement of the secret of the true Christian life. It is not faith that rests only on certain promises of God or in certain blessings that we receive from Christ. It is a faith that sees how entirely Christ gives Himself to the believer to be his entire life, and all that it implies for every moment of the day. Do not complicate the faith life; live by God’s love and by His grace.