"What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily." Galatians 2:19-21
The beauty of God's free gift of grace will have an eternal grasp on my heart. Its unconceivable to me that while we were yet sinners, He died for us. He took away the necessity of sacrifices, the agony of striving for perfection, the condemnation of guilt...
and He replaced it with grace...a gift that comes at the perfect time and the perfect place...completely ordained by God. When grace arrives it's like an afternoon shower on a summer day. It takes the dusty landscape that is before our eyes and cleanses it, causing us to see everything in a new and beautiful way. It cools the struggle in our soul when we finally realize, God has life under control for us.
Because He has the whole world in His hands.
Great post Court. Which translation did you use for the quote? It puts it in a whole new perspective for me. Amazing how different translations can shed numerous truths on a single passage, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteCome on Lauren, it took me five seconds to Google the translation answer. It's The Message. I guess this old guy is better at computering than you.
ReplyDeleteCourtney,it is a beautiful translation and . You may already know what I'm going to say, but the one part of the translation that I can't let go, is:
"The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
The correct and I believe more powerful and comforting translation is "live by the faith OF the Son of God" It is not my faith in Jesus which is the source of this life, but it is the faith of Jesus given to me. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He measures out how much faith each of us get. The lives we live by the faith of Jesus in this world are all in his hands.
Lovely post and message.
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