We are studying through the book of Galatians at Calvary Chapel Sydney on Sunday mornings and it has been a privilege and blessing to put the talks together. The letter was written by Paul to stand against legalism and emphasised how righteousness and salvation come by faith in Jesus Christ alone. The Law never promised righteousness, but exposed the need of sinners to be forgiven. The Law was like a schoolmaster who led us by the hand to our Saviour who could forgive and redeem us, Jesus Christ.
A portion of the book which has impacted me immensely is found in chapter 2. Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20: "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." Paul, through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on Calvary, was through the Law dead to the Law. The risen and glorified Messiah Jesus now lived in Paul's life by faith in Him. God is not just for us or with us: He lives in us. How awesome is this?
In preparing for the message I remembered The Saving Life of Christ written by Major W. Ian Thomas. He wrote, "If you will but trust Christ, not only for the death He died in order to redeem you, but also in the life that He lives and waits to live through you, the very next step you take will be a step taken in the very energy and power of God Himself...You will have become totally dependent upon the life of Christ within you, and never before will you have been so independent, so emancipated from the pressure of your circumstances, so released at last from that self-distrust which has made you at one moment an arrogant, loud-mouthed braggart, and the next moment the victim of your own self-pity - and, either way, always in bondage to the fear of other men's opinions." (Thomas, W. Ian. The Saving Life of Christ. Zondervan, 1994. pages 15-16)
What a worthy reminder! It is one thing to acknowledge God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and died on the cross and rose again, but a necessary step to believe He lives in us and waits to live through us. No more can we pride ourselves on our maturity or growth, for it is Christ in us. All mercy, self-control, love, and boldness for the sake of God's glory is evidence of Christ in us. We refer to fellow Christians as being faithful or solid, but that is actually Christ in them. As it is written in 2 Corinthians 4:6-7, "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us." Praise the LORD Jesus lives in us, and may we choose to surrender ourselves before God believing Him so His excellency might shine forth.
A portion of the book which has impacted me immensely is found in chapter 2. Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20: "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." Paul, through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on Calvary, was through the Law dead to the Law. The risen and glorified Messiah Jesus now lived in Paul's life by faith in Him. God is not just for us or with us: He lives in us. How awesome is this?
In preparing for the message I remembered The Saving Life of Christ written by Major W. Ian Thomas. He wrote, "If you will but trust Christ, not only for the death He died in order to redeem you, but also in the life that He lives and waits to live through you, the very next step you take will be a step taken in the very energy and power of God Himself...You will have become totally dependent upon the life of Christ within you, and never before will you have been so independent, so emancipated from the pressure of your circumstances, so released at last from that self-distrust which has made you at one moment an arrogant, loud-mouthed braggart, and the next moment the victim of your own self-pity - and, either way, always in bondage to the fear of other men's opinions." (Thomas, W. Ian. The Saving Life of Christ. Zondervan, 1994. pages 15-16)
What a worthy reminder! It is one thing to acknowledge God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and died on the cross and rose again, but a necessary step to believe He lives in us and waits to live through us. No more can we pride ourselves on our maturity or growth, for it is Christ in us. All mercy, self-control, love, and boldness for the sake of God's glory is evidence of Christ in us. We refer to fellow Christians as being faithful or solid, but that is actually Christ in them. As it is written in 2 Corinthians 4:6-7, "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us." Praise the LORD Jesus lives in us, and may we choose to surrender ourselves before God believing Him so His excellency might shine forth.