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.
Clean slates. Second chances. Do-overs. I’m in favor of them. I have an app on my phone that tracks habits I want to encourage in my life, like steps, sleep, and food intake. I see green when I meet my goal and red when I fail. Too much red can be discouraging and make me want to quit. This app, however, allows me to start over! It gives me a second chance. I get to wipe the slate clean. While I am thankful for this feature in my goal tracker, I am infinitely thankful that God gives us second chances, that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), and ultimately displayed in the person of Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, wiping our slates clean and making us new creations.
Last week, we saw that God doesn’t simply forgive us and leave us unchanged. He regenerates us and renews us by the Holy Spirit. That raises an important question: What does that new life actually look like? Galatians 2:20 answers that question. In this Galatians 2:20 Explained study, we’ll discover the meaning of Galatians 2:20 and what it looks like to live by faith each day.
What Does “I have been crucified with Christ” Mean?
It is in Christ’s death that we are first united with Him. Our rebellious, sinful, unbelieving selves were crucified with Christ. The person we once were apart from Him died with Him. Paul sums it up like this in Romans 6:6:
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
It is only because we died with Christ and were united with Him in his death that we can also be united with Him in His resurrection (Romans 6:5).
What Does It Mean That “Christ Lives In Me”?
Although we still battle the desires of the flesh, our deepest desires begin to change. We begin to live “not for ourselves, but for him who for [our] sake died and was raised” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Those things we once wanted and strived for no longer seem as important as our desire to do what pleases God. This became clear to me some time ago.
I decided, for “old times’ sake”, I would rewatch some of the movies I remember “loving” in High School. After putting on my comfy sweats and popping some popcorn, I settled into what I thought would be a nostalgic trip down memory lane. To my dismay, I only got a little way into the first movie before I had to shut it off.
What I used to watch embarrassed me. I couldn’t believe that I actually enjoyed this. The language was crude, the subject matter was inappropriate, and frankly, the acting was bad. I asked myself, “Why didn’t these things bother me back then?
I can tell you why. When I put my trust in Christ, I was born again (John 3:1-20). I became a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), recreated in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, my desires slowly began to change: what once seemed ok to me now made me very uncomfortable. As my desire for the world grew dimmer, my desire to look more like Jesus grew brighter.
I once was dead, but I am alive to God in Christ because Christ now lives in me. The life I now live doesn’t belong to me; it belongs to Him. And I know that, and I want to live for Him, but I still live here, in this flesh in this world?
So how am I to live?
How Do We “Live By Faith”?
If you are reading this, you are living. Not only are you living, but you are living in the flesh. Until we depart this earth and are with the Lord, we will continue to battle the desires of the flesh.
So how are we to live?
Paul answers that question with one simple phrase: by faith in the Son of God.
Living by faith means depending on Christ day by day rather than relying on ourselves. That kind of life is impossible in our own strength. Christ lives in us, and He has given us the Holy Spirit. As we walk by the Spirit, He renews our minds, changes our desires, and enables us to overcome the desires of the flesh. The Christian life isn’t about trying harder. It is about depending on Christ more fully each day.
So what does that dependence look like?
It begins by spending time with Him. Just as every healthy relationship grows through time together, our relationship with Christ grows as we meet with Him in His Word and in prayer. Over the years, I have discovered one simple habit that has helped me cultivate that daily dependence on Christ.
I’ve shared that habit in another article and video titled “One Morning Habit That Will Change Your Life Forever (15 Minute Challenge)”. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read or watch it.
The habit itself isn’t what changes us. Christ does. But spending the first moments of each day with Him has transformed my walk with Christ more than any other habit I’ve ever developed. If you want to learn to live by faith in the Son of God, I can’t think of a better place to start than by giving him the first fifteen minutes of your day.
Continue Your Journey Through Scripture
Galatians 2:20 is just one of 52 carefully selected passages in Memorize Scripture, a free, year-long email study designed to help you hide God’s Word in your heart—one verse at a time.
Each week, you’ll receive Scripture guidance, teaching videos, and practical encouragement to help you understand, memorize, and apply God’s Word at a slow, sustainable pace.
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How Do We Live by Faith? | Galatians 2:20 #shorts
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