Galatians 2:20New Living Translation (NLT)
20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
We get asked and challenged by a sermon and from the Bible to live with the thought of ‘The End of Me’. What does that mean? Does that mean my person, my beliefs, who I am? What is Paul challenging me to do?
When you dig into this text, Paul is confronting Peter. Peter is wavering back and forth about the law, which is Old Testament, as to the freedom Christ gave us in him, to the liberty to stand in our faith, and to the freedom from the bondage of sin.
We get to enjoy this freedom in Christ. We have the freedom to do and the freedom not to do. We obey Christ out of love as opposed to obeying Christ because of law.
Jesus broke the law of the Old Testament with his death, burial, and his resurrection. This is the way Jesus laid out for us to be identified with him.
Let’s keep this simple. When I do to myself, my flesh, my sin, it is covered by the grace of Jesus. That sin is now buried so that my new life is now resurrected, made new in him. Hopefully this makes sense.
By coming to the of self, I am now identified in Christ as one of his followers. I am a new creation. Now my true identity is not in what I do for a living, my past sins, or what the world tries to say about me. I am the son of the Living God, Jesus. I was a sinner saved by grace, and I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
Men, this is freeing. Do you hear me on this? The end of you is freedom! Will you allow Jesus to help you stand in these truths?
We get to stand together as free men.
Come to the Vital Men Kick Off Event on September 14. It is free. We get to stand together as free men!
Strength and Courage
Michael
