“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 NIV
Over the course of the last several Sundays, the above verse found in Apostle Paul’s epistle to the church in Galatia has been referenced from the pulpit during Sunday sermons at my local church – Northside Community Church in Harare.
Coincidentally, it is the scripture verse that the Lord put in my heart during my water baptism. We were required to cite a scripture as soon as we came out of the water. And I remember reciting verse two of the twentieth chapter of Galatians.
Today, the Holy Spirit again quickened the same verse in my conscience as I laid inside the chamber of an MRI scanner. While it is no doubt one of my favorite verses, I now have better intuition of what it means.
As a believer, disciple and born-again follower and Ambassador of Christ and the Kingdom of God, I have no identity of my own. In other words, I was buried with him by baptism into death and now walk in newness of life having been raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father.
Some would say that is only positionally true. No, it is the truth. It is reality. And what is even more remarkable is that even the Registrar of Death and Birth in the country where I was born (Kenya) has not clue that the Kenneth Odero who was born into sin in Murang’a died, was buried and rose again. The evidence? There is no official record of death against my name, except in Heaven.
It is not only that I died, but as is written in Colossians my life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is my life, appears, then I also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:3-4 NIV paraphrased)
“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Romans 6:8 NIV). Therefore, I can never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14 NIV)
Brethren, let us examine yourselves to see whether we are in the faith; test yourselves. Is Christ Jesus is in you?
The WORD challenges us (Romans 6:13) not to offer any part of ourselves to sin as an instrument of wickedness but rather offer ourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of ourselves to Him as an instrument of righteousness. Amen