Sermon Devotional: Found in Jesus

Scripture: Galatians 2:14-21 (NIV)

Contributed by Ellyn Schwaiger and Nancy Buschart
              
“I have been crucified with Christ,” Paul writes. “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (2:20). How can this be? How do we wrap our minds and lives around these words? There are two realities in view here: one theological and one experiential. Both have implications for who we are in Christ and for how we live out our identity. Let’s consider each one separately.

Jesus accomplished what we could not. Our sin separated us from God the Father and no amount of trying hard to follow the law brought us any closer to the righteous requirements of the law. The psalmist prays, “Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you” (Ps 143:2). All people are sinners deserving the penalty of our rebellion against God. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). The Covenant of Grace tells us that on the cross the crucified Christ took upon himself our unrighteousness and rebellion. The “free gift of God” is the great exchange of Christ’s righteousness for our unrighteousness. This gift of mercy and grace says that when the Father looks upon us, he sees the righteousness of the Son. “We have been united with him” (Rom 6:5). We are united with Christ—Christ is in us and we are in Christ.

“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (Rom 6:6). That old unrighteous self was actually crucified with Jesus the Son. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20).

This is where the experiential reality creates tension for us. By faith, we believe that Christ has accomplished what we could not do and that our sin and rebellion has been exchanged for the glorious gift of Christ’s righteousness. But if my sinful, old self is gone because of Jesus, why do I continue to be selfish and greedy, unloving and impatient, deceitful and afraid? “When I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.” “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Rom 7:21, 19).

Recall Jesus’ I Am declaration from John 15. “I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (Jo 15:5). The branch is inseparably united, permanently living in Christ the true Vine. The true Vine is always and forever our nourishing life source. So daily, hourly, moment by moment Christ lives within his people. He walks with us, and his Spirit prompts us to pay attention to the impulse to be impatient or unloving. Then, it is “Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).

Discipleship to Jesus is never “one and done.” Our union with Jesus means that we are made righteous by the crucified Christ and we stand forgiven and justified before the Father. Our union with Jesus means that Christ is in us and we are in Christ enabled to live dependent upon the true Vine in each and every moment.

Consider –
╬   “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17). Union with Christ is both central to our identity and a mystery of our faith. It may take a lifetime of walking with Jesus to apprehend this wonderful reality. What does this mean to you today? And because it is mystery, what questions do you have? Pray and ask the Spirit of Truth to bring deeper understanding, and talk about this with others.

╬   If we’re honest, our experiential reality makes clear that “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” What is one “good” that you want? What is one “evil” that you keep doing? Bring both to the feet of Jesus.

╬   Father, Son and Spirit, thank you for the profound truth that we are united with Christ. We worship you. Lead us into deeper understanding and experience of all that it means to be Living in Christ Jesus, our Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.