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The Reckoning for Today, and Tomorrow, and the Next Day

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Galatians 2:20-21 (NIV)

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

CONSIDER THIS

So we are making some critical shifts; the first of which is this shift from the first half to the second half of the gospel. However, there is a reckoning we must deal with before going further. Many of you are ready for this reckoning. Others, not so much—which is fine. What is important is being piercingly honest with yourself. In other words, I realize this may be the swing of the axe that finally fells the tree of the resistance in your soul. And it may be the first swing. Either way is fine. I’m just going to swing. 

I want you to feel the gravity of today’s text.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Have you ever noticed how the Christian book section in most bookstores is right next to the self-help section? The message? If self can’t help, maybe Jesus can? That’s where most of us spend way too much of our lives—trying to get Jesus to help us—with our old life. The Christian life is not a self-help program. Truth, be told, it is not a “Jesus can help” program either. It is not a life enhancement process. It is not a good to great approach. Christianity, despite many alternative formulations, is the transcendent movement from darkness to light; from death to life; from empty to full; from broken to whole. “Transcendent” is a big word meaning something like, “from God to people” and “from Heaven to Earth.” 

The Christian life, which sounds so tame and benign, is referred to by the Bible as, “the life hid with Christ in God.” It is not hard but easy. The reason people perceive it as difficult is because they have gone half way but not the other half. We want Jesus on our terms. We want Jesus to patch up our old life, to make it work better. That’s just not the offer. 

The offer is the old life for the new life. The price is the death of the old person, the abandonment of the old life. Say the text aloud this time:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I NO LONGER LIVE. The New Testament is unequivocally clear on this point. To become a Christian is to die—baptism is an image of drowning, of burial. 

CHRIST LIVES IN ME. This is the transcendent presence of God, dwelling in a human being. 

This is not a one time reckoning but an every day reality check. So last week it was: The old has gone. BEHOLD. The new has come. 

This week add this: I NO LONGER LIVE. CHRIST LIVES IN ME. 

THE PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ, because you live in me, I am alive in you. Thank you that the “old me” was never the real me to begin with. The new me, alive in you, is the New Creation. With all that I am I say yes to this. Today, my old self is dead. Today my new self is gloriously alive. Come Holy Spirit and walk this out in me. Train me in the New Creation. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

THE QUESTION

Are you afraid of losing yourself? If so, this is one of the primary markers of the “old self” — insecurity. It’s a sign its time to let it go. The new self has enormous security—Christ lives in me. I NO LONGER LIVE. CHRIST LIVES IN ME.

For the Awakening,

J.D. Walt

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WHAT IS THIS? Wake-Up Call is a daily encouragement to shake off the slumber of our busy lives and turn our eyes toward Jesus. Each morning our community gathers around a Scripture, a reflection, a prayer, and a few short questions, inviting us to reorient our lives around the love of Jesus that transforms our hearts, homes, churches, and cities.

Comments and Discussion

2 Responses

  1. No, I’m not afraid of losing myself. For me the daily problem is forgetting who I am in Christ and who’s I am in Christ. I believe the true reason living this new life as it should be lived is so hard, is the fact that the enemy of our souls is constantly whispering lies into our minds telling us it’s not true. This is where the teachings regarding spiritual combat come into play. Come Holy Spirit, and cleanse our minds through the inspiration of your Word.

  2. The one sentence summation of this teaching that drove the point home to me is “God did not create you to be angry.”.

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