Get up! Face life with courage. Do this—you are God's child. God's children have not been hung out to dry—we have not been left to our own limits. We do not have to fall back on our strength, wisdom, or righteousness. Thank Goodness, right? Because God knows our inequity wouldn't be enough.
In a second letter written by Paul to the churches of Galatia, verse 20 captures this redemptive reality as a historical fact and a way of life. "I have been crucified with Christ," Paul shares with the crowd. Bold statement, Paul... But just as we discussed in our latest blog post, Jesus took names to that Cross. He specifically and effectively died for you and for me. His death satisfied God's anger against us so that we face it no longer in this world. Paul reminds us of the reason why fear is never needed in this earthly kingdom: our savior died a physical and spiritual death- so we do not have to die spiritually.
"It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." another audacious and courageous statement made by Paul to the Galatians. This concept is fairly radical and a bit hard to grasp. One must remember that our bodies are temples for the spirit of Christ, for the spirit that animates, motivates, and propels our spiritual life forward; this is not an act of our own, but by grace through Christ, we are power in this way. Christ makes you the place where he dwells. This means you are never alone in any situation, location, or relationship. Jesus is always with you because he died on that cross in Calvary on April 3rd, AD 33, at 3:00 p.m.
"My life is in the flesh, but I live by faith. Faith in the son of God, who loved me, took my name to that cross and died for man so man does not have to." Live with peace, hope, and courage, we are reminded- not because we understand all that is going on in and around us but because we have been forgiven. The acknowledgment of His presence makes me rich.