Message of the Week

The Little White Community Church

Scripture: Gal. 2:20-3: 5 Feb. 2, 2025

Message: “Not I, but Christ now lives in me."     

by Pastor George Gnade

Intro: 1. The Book of Galatians was written to encourage the Galatians to believe in what Paul taught them, and not to believe some false teachers who told the new Christians that, they had to not only accept Christ, but also become good Jews under all the O.T. rules. 

2. Paul spent two whole chapters verifying his calling to be an apostle to the Gentiles and how Jesus revealed the Gospel to him. Then he shared how all the other apostles agreed with him. Therefore the Galatians could trust what he taught them.

3. Now in the passage we are studying today, Paul explains this gospel more fully.

a. The key verse is found in Gal. 2:20. Paul writes: “I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet it is not I, but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in this earthly body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

b. Paul is not bragging. He is explaining how the true Christian life is meant to be lived. Every true Christian should be able to say what Paul said.

A. Let us consider Galatians 2:20 in more detail.

1.  Paul is speaking words of faith. He is not talking about keeping the Law. Notice the question Paul asks them in Gal. 3:2, “Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?” 

a. Our actions should be based on what we believe, not on our efforts to show God how good we are. It is based on the person of Christ, not my efforts or ability to earn my way to heaven.

b. In faith, we believe Jesus died on the cross in our place, paid the penalty we deserved, and earned our way to heaven.   

2. That is why He came. That is what He did. Do you believe Jesus died in your place? Then your faith is in what Jesus has done, not in what you have done. Your faith is in Him, not yourself.

a. Paul calls this “being crucified with Christ.” To believe He died for you is the same as saying you died in Him. In God’s eyes, it is just as if you died when He died. Therefore, the penalty for your sins is paid. That is a statement of faith. 

b. But it is only true if you have chosen to believe in Jesus and believe in what Jesus did for you. 

B. That leads to the second phrase: “Nevertheless, I live!”

1. Although in faith I believe I died with Christ, in a spiritual way, I am still alive. “Yet it is not I, but Christ who now lives in me.”        

a. Again that takes faith to believe. Not only did Jesus die in my place, Jesus has given me His Holy Spirit to live in my heart.

b. When a person prays and asks Jesus to come into his heart, he is believing by faith that He has come into his heart through the Holy Spirit.

2. Some new Christians experience a deep feeling within them when Christ has come into them. Others may not feel any different at all.  The presence of Christ in your heart is not necessarily a feeling, but a fact of faith. You believe this because Jesus promised to do this (Luke 11: 9-13). You are placing your faith in Jesus’ promises.

3. If you are sincere when you do this, then you can say with the apostle Paul: “I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet it not I but Christ who now lives in me.”

a. That statement of faith prepares us for the next statement of faith: “The life I now live in my earthly body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

b. Since you asked Jesus into your heart to help you, now you must learn to listen to Jesus in your heart and learn to live in His strength and in His way. 

C. Consider some examples.

1. In Gal. 3: 5, Paul wrote: “Consider Abraham, ‘He believed God and it was counted unto him as righteousness.’”

a. God told him to go to a land He would show him. And God promised to give him that land and that someday his descendants would live in that land. And through them, someday the Messiah would be born.

b. If he said he believed, but never obeyed, then clearly he did not believe. To live by faith involves listening to God and doing what He asks you to do. Because Abraham obeyed and did his best to obey and follow the Lord in this new adventure, God declared him righteous.

c. When I put my faith in Christ and believe He died for me and I ask Him to live in my heart, I show my faith by listening to the voice of Jesus in my heart; and as He speaks to me through God’s Word, I show my faith by asking Him to help me live this new lifestyle (John 10:27).

2. Abraham had a lot to learn but once God spoke to him, his life was different. If we accept Christ, we will still make mistakes but clearly our life will show we are different.

a. Just as Abraham was saved by believing and following the Lord, so we are saved when we believe and start following Jesus.

b. The Galatians originally listened to Paul and put their faith in Jesus.  But then, many of them stopped listening to Paul and went backwards, living by the O.T. standards instead. Now they were trying to save themselves. You can’t have it both ways. 

3. Consider the disciples.  In the beginning, Jesus invited them to come and follow Him. Those who followed him showed their faith by following Him. They still had a lot to learn but clearly their lives changed. 

a. They could easily have said with Paul: “The life I am now living I am living by faith in Christ, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  Can you say that?

b. Or have you reverted back to living your own way? Are you trying to save yourself, or are you learning to listen to the voice of Jesus and to follow Him? 

4. In John 6, Jesus fed over 5,000 people and many followed Him to get more food. Jesus asked them for a deeper commitment. He wanted them to commit their lives to Him. But when they realized He wanted a deeper commitment from them, they deserted Him (John 6:66).

a. Sadly, many people make an initial commitment but never follow through. They still prefer to live their own way and have no intention of living for Jesus and following Jesus for the rest of their lives. 

b. Many people think they can save themselves by simply doing good deeds. But they rarely think of Jesus or pray to Jesus or live to please Jesus. They are not listening to the Jesus they asked into their hearts. 

In conclusion: 1. Paul wrote in Gal. 3:1, “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?”  

2. Salvation is through Christ alone, through His death in our behalf, and through Christ living in and through me. May your faith and life commitment be to Him. While we all have a lot to learn, Jesus will help us all the way.