June 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. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died in vain,” Galatians 2:20-21.
“I have been crucified with Christ.” What do these words mean? By faith in the Lord Jesus, every Christian receives the blessings and benefits that Christ gained for us when He was crucified on the cross at Calvary. By His crucifixion He conquered sin. With His holy, precious blood He washed away our sins. The forgiveness of sins is our spiritual blessing by trusting in the promise of the Gospel. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved,” John 3:16-17.
By faith in the crucified Christ, Christ lives in the Christian. The Savior spoke of His relationship with the believers in these words: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love,” John 15:4-9.
Our relationship with the Lord Jesus is by faith, which demonstrates itself by love – love for God and love for our fellowmen. Our Christian faith is revealed by our Christian life. “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.” The certainty of our salvation rests upon the love of the Son of God, as it is expressed by the apostle John in his First Epistle: “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him,” 1 John 4:9. Then John adds, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another,” 1 John 4:11.
Our love for one another is a love that is concerned about both the physical and spiritual welfare of our fellowmen. While we have a concern for clothing and feeding bodies, in as far as this is possible, we have a greater concern for feeding souls. We want to witness with the message about sin and the Savior. The emphasis should always be on the grace of God revealed through Christ Jesus, not on people’s works. Paul summarizes, “If righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died in vain.” To talk about getting right with God through what one does or does not do simply says that Christ lived and died for no purpose.
However, every Christian lives by the faith in the Son of God who redeemed us all. “We love Him who first loved us. If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? . . . He who loves God must love his brother also,” 1 John 4:19-21.
“Oh, teach me, Lord, to love Thee truly,
With soul and body, head and heart,
And grant me grace that I may duly
Practice fore’er love’s sacred art.
Grant that my every thought may be,
Directed e’er to Thee.” Amen.