“CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST!”

Galatians 2:20-21           (ESV)

“20 I have been “CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST”. It is no longer I who live, but CHRIST WHO lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by FAITH in the SON of GOD, WHO loved me and gave HIMSELF for me.

21 I do not nullify the grace of GOD, FOR IF RIGHTEOUSNESS WERE THROUGH THE LAW, THEN CHRIST DIED FOR NO PURPOSE.”

“The main obstacles to living and walking by faith, is thinking that there is life outside of Christ and His experience (Galatians 2:20; John 16:33).”

Receiving the message above recently from a servant of the most HIGH GOD caused me to STOP and ponder FOR A WHILE.  Then I saw this Facebook post, “Stopping to think about my friends is like a breath of fresh air....”, and I wondered how many times I considered that the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES never ONCE has a time when HE ISN’T thinking about me?  Can I say that about any other friend???

In my younger years I would so often I catch myself “speed reading” through scripture in an attempt to move onto the next item on my busy agenda, never considering that my best “FRIEND” is the ONE WHO merely spoke and there was!  HE desires, maybe even requires, a relationship stronger than the one we have with our spouses, and we find ourselves struggling to give HIM an hour once a week to celebrate being CHOSEN by HIM???

Knowing the JOY and PEACE that only HE can give is something that is unmistakably unique.  Conversely, when I am not in a good relationship with HIM and NOT allowing HIS SPIRIT to reflect in my mirror, the discontent and turmoil can literally be sickening, causing physical and emotional distress.  When we are “CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST”, we surrender our will to HIS and allow HIM to lead our paths.  What I used to do is use the old “bull in a china cabinet” mentality until I would get myself into a place where I was totally with NO HOPE, AND ONLY THEN have to cry out to GOD to get me back on THE PATH where HE was leading.  

Being “CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST” should cause me to yield to HIS direction in my life.  But I sometimes liken being “CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST” as a dead person that we constantly are giving CPR to, doing our best to keep the corpse alive?  Allowing ourselves to be “CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST” should mean to us that our fleshly desires will fade away, especially if we are feeding the SPIRIT (Romans 7 & 8).  Are you continually CRUCIFYING your fleshly desires?  Is it your desire to be “CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST“?  The ONLY way we can live eternally, and  have fulfillment here on earth, is to be “CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST” and allow HIS SPIRIT to live through us.