Daily Devotional

A Ministry of the Kerwin Baptist Church

March 22, 2019

by Pastor Hawtree

BIBLE READING: GALATIANS 2

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

We know the verse, and we know the song. This verse is full of contrasts to give clarity. You may get clarity or confusion from this but for those that are interested, I would love for you to take an in-depth look at this famous verse. I have compiled a few statements from some different commentators to help you understand what all that Paul was saying.

“I am crucified with Christ”
Here in Paul’s own person he gives us an excellent description of the mysterious life of a believer.
1. He is crucified, and yet he lives;
2. The old man is crucified (Romans 6:6), but the new man is living;
3. He is dead to the world, and dead to the law, and yet alive to God and Christ;
4. Sin is mortified, and grace quickened.
5. He lives, and yet not he.
6. I live, and yet not I;
7. He lives in the exercise of grace; he has the comforts and the triumphs of grace; and yet that grace is not from himself, but from another. Believers see themselves living in a state of dependence.
8. He is crucified with Christ, and yet Christ lives in him; this results from his mystical union with Christ, by means of which he is interested in the death of Christ, so as by virtue of that to die unto sin; and yet interested in the life of Christ, so as by virtue of that to live unto God.
9. He lives in the flesh, and yet lives by faith; to outward appearance he lives as other people do, his natural life is supported as others are; yet he has a higher and nobler principle that supports and actuates him, that of faith in Christ, and especially as eyeing the wonders of his love in giving himself for him.
10. Hence it is that, though he lives in the flesh, yet he does not live after the flesh.
11. Those who have true faith live by that faith; and the great thing which faith fastens upon is Christ’s loving us and giving himself for us. The great evidence of Christ’s loving us is His giving himself for us; and this is that which we are chiefly concerned to mix faith with, in order to our living to him.