Galatians 2:20-21: Part 3

“The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

One reason this passage can seem confusing is because it tells us things that are obviously not so. It contains paradoxes: I am crucified…but I live. I am alive…but it’s not me, it’s Christ. Huh? A person could easily read this verse and think “I am obviously not dead” and “I still look like myself, not Christ”. And they would be right, but they are talking about what they see in the physical world. Paul on the other hand is talking about what is true in the spiritual world. As followers of Christ we are called to believe in what God says is true even when we don’t see it(12). We see the physical world through physical eyes, but God’s truth resides in the spiritual world. The Holy Spirit must give us “spiritual eyes” so we can accept what we cannot see. We see glimpses of truth in the physical world but we will never see the whole picture until what is true in heaven is true on earth. Until then, we are called to live by faith. Faith is believing what is not obvious…what we cannot figure out. I’ve heard jokes about people saying “I’d have faith if I could just see some proof”. That’s impossible…proof eliminates faith. How small would our God be if we could figure him out? If I could explain all the attributes of God then I’d be like God. Seems like we’ve changed very little since Eden(13).

Someone also could say, “I want to believe that sin is dead. I don’t want to sin anymore. I want to live in freedom. How do I make it happen?” We naturally want a series of steps or a formula to make this happen. The problem is that a formula eliminates faith. A formula for living the Christian life can actually be counterproductive because it let’s us remain in control…and that’s why we want one. In the book Searching For God Knows What Donald Miller writes:

“…life is complex, and the idea that you can break it down or fix it in a few steps is rather silly. The truth is there are a million steps, and we don’t even know what the steps are, and worse, at any given moment we may not be willing or even able to take them; and still worse, they are different for you and me and they are always changing. I have come to believe the sooner we find this truth beautiful, the sooner we will fall in love with the God who keeps shaking things up, keeps changing the path, keeps rocking the boat to test our faith in Him, teaching us not to rely on easy answers, bullet points, magic mantras, or genies in lamps, but rather in His guidance, His existence, His mercy, His love.”

The danger in teaching that a person can please God by simply performing spiritual disciplines is that the disciplines themselves are just actions…i.e. works…i.e. law. According to Galatians 2:20 there is only one way for what is true in Christ to be displayed in our lives; There is only one way to access this new life (Christ in us) that is totally free from sin: Faith. We must live by faith. Faith in what? Faith in Christ being God’s Son? Yes, but that’s an incomplete faith. Faith is his substitutionary death? Yes, but still incomplete. In order to live a life pleasing to God, we must have faith that what he says is true in our lives is actually true. We must have faith that we’re dead to sin…it doesn’t control us anymore…we don’t have to sin(14). We must have faith that we have been given a new life that is actually “Christ in us”. We must have faith that when we submit to “Christ in us” that results in a life that is pleasing to God. The actions are not what please God…the faith is what pleases God(15). In fact, that is the only way to do so. Will true faith result in certain qualities and actions being displayed? Absolutely(16), in fact, where told exactly what true faith looks like:

Galatians 5:22-26
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Notice that we don’t call this “The fruit of the Christian trying hard”. We call it “The fruit of the Spirit” because these qualities can only come from the Spirit (Christ in us). Also, notice that it doesn’t say “acting lovingly” or “acting good” or “trying to have faith” (those would be the “fruit of the Christian trying hard”). It simply says “love…goodness…faithfulness”. Something else to note here: according to scripture faith generates more faith. By faith we allow(17) Christ to be displayed in our lives, and when he is displayed one of the qualities is faith. Faith produces more faith, which produces more faith, etc.

Grace,

Tim

12. Hebrews 11:1
13. Genesis 3:5
14. Romans 6:6-7
15. Hebrews 11:6
16. James 2:14-17
17. By allow I do not mean that God cannot do something without our permission. God can do anything he wishes. God does not force us to submit, however. He calls us to submission. This does not undermine his sovereignty because it is simply how he has chosen to work in our lives.