Full of Life!!

Anna October. 1.2003

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, 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 could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing. Galatians 2:20-21

This seemingly simple set of verses is actually quite complex. In almost one breath Paul has said that we are to be like Christ, because he lives in us, and then he says that it is by God's grace that we are saved, and not by the law. Are these two verses conflicting? NOT AT ALL!! Rather, they are to remind us of who we are not: Jesus.

Remember 1 Corinthians 5:17? "For if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come." But what happens when we AREN'T like Christ? What if we mess up? Well, Paul says it here in verse 21 that "if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing," and if that doesn't do it for you, he says the same thing to the Ephesians. Ephesians 2:8-9 says that it is by grace we have been saved, through faith -- and this not of ourselves, it is a gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast.

This is the best news in the world to me! I'm in an Old Testament class, and sometimes I walk out of there bogged to the ground. Because God is who He is, He demanded complete faithfulness from the Israelites. They couldn't do it, and I'm 100% certain I can't either. In class I feel as though I've been confonted with God's holiness, and I always find myself thinking that I have a few hundred million unblemished lambs to sacrifice. But, I have to remember that this (the Old Testament) is just the beginning!!! There's great news: Jesus! I truely, truely believe that the ONLY way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ--through faith-- NOT of myself, so that I can't boast!!

(That is good news because I really don't know how well I'd do with the "lamb killing" thing.)

Spend time with your lamb. Draw close to Him.

"Then if we will we may draw near to God and begin to hear Him speak to us in our hearts." -- A.W. Tozer