Our scripture reading comes from Galatians 2. We're going to read verses 11 through 21. The message comes from verse 20. In the first four verses, Paul tells the story of how Peter behaved in Antioch. At first he was befriending Gentile believers, but when people came from Jerusalem who thought there should not be that kind of fellowship between Jew and Gentile, Peter backed off and acted like they did. And Paul uses that as an occasion to present the truth that our salvation and fellowship with God come not from being Jews or Jewish, but from being in Christ alone. Galatians 2 verse 11, Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed. For before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles, but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, if you being a Jew live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. And if, while we seek to be justified by faith, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not. For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. Let us turn to God in prayer and seek His help as we study this message. Our Father, we confess to You that we need the work of Your Spirit for us to understand Scripture, and especially to see how it implies to us. And so we ask You for the presence and work of Your Spirit so that we might learn about Christ and trust only in Him. In Jesus' name, Amen. Brothers and sisters, Galatians 2 verse 20 says, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ 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. This verse belongs to the Apostle Paul's answer to the Judaizers who had infiltrated the Galatian church. The Judaizers essentially believed that Gentile converts to Christ first needed to convert to Judaism. In New Testament times quite a few Gentiles had joined the Jewish faith. And when they joined, they submitted to Jewish requirements, circumcision, observance of Jewish festivals, and refraining from unclean food. The Judaizers thought Gentile Christians should also submit to these requirements. According to them, Judaism provides the first step along the journey of entering the Christian life. But the Apostle Paul preached and wrote that this trust in Jewish traditions would never save anyone. But the Judaizers had a complaint they made against Paul. They said his message promoted sin. They reasoned if Jesus does not require his followers to meet entrance requirements, doesn't that make him a servant of sin? If he saves people who continue sinning, doesn't the gospel make them morally careless? They reason the church needs more than the gospel to make someone good. And this challenge that we need more than the gospel has advocates today, not necessarily by those who still talk about sin. Many in the church believe we need more than the gospel to interest people in Christ, to motivate Christians to follow Christ, to help people love Christ. Today's Christian bookstores seem filled with books on psychological helps and management theories as powerful tools that will make the church a powerful organization. Michael Horton had this in mind when he wrote his book which he entitled, Christless Christianity, speaking of how the Christian church seems to be using anything but the gospel to motivate people to come in. So Paul answers the Judaizers who said we need more than the gospel. Paul wrote, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me. This shows the gospel's power to make us new. But the Judaizers would never understand this. Yet this verse presents the secret of the Christian life. It tells how the gospel possesses power to make a sinner a new person. As we look at what Paul says in verse 20 about the secret of the Christian life, we notice three realities he refers to. Our union with Christ. Our crucifixion with Christ. Our life in Christ. Paul hints at union with Christ in the first Greek word of this verse. There's one word we translate with two English words, with Christ. It places Christ on center stage as Paul teaches us about the Christian life. To know the power of the Christian life requires us to understand Christ and to know Him. And everything that Paul says in this verse about crucifixion, about life, we receive both of them in Christ. Christ forms the content of the Christian faith and the power of the Christian life. This idea of union with Christ fills the Apostle Paul's letters. Consider how much he says in his letters we have in Christ. In Ephesians 1 verse 4, It says the Father chose us in Christ before the foundations of the world. In the next verse it says God predestined us for adoption as sons through Christ. Two verses later it says in Christ we have redemption. Then in Ephesians 2 it says God who is rich in mercy even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive together with Christ. Romans 3 verse 24 says we were justified through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 8 17 calls us God's adopted children, heirs, heirs of God, fellow heirs with Christ provided we suffer with him in order that we may be glorified with him. First Corinthians 611 refers to sanctification in Christ. You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 2 verse 8 says the Christian is rooted, built up in Christ, established in the faith, teaching we endure in Christ. Romans 14 says we die in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15 says we will be made alive in Christ. Colossians 3 says we will appear with Christ in glory. According to these very few verses which Paul has written, we receive our calling, regeneration, justification, sanctification, perseverance, and glory, all in union with Christ. No wonder in Colossians 3 Paul calls Christ our life. And no wonder in Ephesians 1 verse 3 he praises God because God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing. And Paul's first word in this verse reflects this perspective that the secret of the Christian life consists of union with Christ. Now the Apostle John also teaches this, although he uses different words. For example, in John 15 verse 5, Jesus says, I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. In other words, we receive our new life and fruitfulness in it. in Christ alone. Both John's and Paul's writings present Christ as the Christian life. And this reality of union with Christ should genuinely amaze us. Paul has the glorious ascended Christ in mind when he says with Christ. This Jesus now rules the universe. He governs every ruler. He has written the law to which every legislature is accountable. He is the judge of judges. And he rules everything to protect each of us, his disciples. Colossians 3 verse 4 declares that our life is hidden with this Christ, this ascended And when Christ who is our life appears, we will also appear with him in glory. Now most of us I think understand that God looks at the Christian from Christ. This means he looked on Christ on the cross as though Jesus had committed our sins. And it means he looks at each believer today as though we had performed Jesus' obedience. Yet Jesus, God does not merely look at us. A living bond unites us to Christ, like the life which a vine and its branches share. He is our life, though no one can really see it. And this union with Christ begins to show how the Judaizers misunderstood the power of the gospel. They misunderstood how in Christ all is given to us and how in Christ we are God's friends. But the rest of the verse will explain more. Not only does the secret of the Christian life include union with Christ, it also includes crucifixion with Christ. Verse 20 begins literally this way, with Christ I have been co-crucified. Paul adds a prefix to crucified, which means we experience it together. You can spell that Greek prefix with English letters, S-Y-M or S-Y-M. And we use it in our language with the word sympathy. I might say I extend my sympathy to you. And that word with is there meaning I suffer with you or I share your feelings with you. Or we use the prefix in symphony. It means the instruments sound with each other so that they play one piece together. Paul also uses that prefix here. I have been crucified with Christ. One verb describing what happened to me, what happened to Jesus. Paul uses this prefix in many other places. Romans 8 verse 18 has three instances of it in one verse. It calls Christians with-heirs with Christ, provided we with-suffer with Him in order that we may be with-glorified with Him. We experience inheritance, suffering, and glory, aspects of Jesus' life with him. Ephesians 2 verse 5 says, God who is rich in mercy, with gave us life with Christ. He with raised us from the dead. so that we can be with-seated with Christ in the heavenlies. In some cases the Bible describes these experiences of Jesus' life as having taken place in the past. And that's what we find here in Galatians 2 verse 20. Christ has been crucified, I have been crucified with him, the Apostle Paul claims. Now this crucifixion has lasting effects for us. The verb with crucified is a past word which has present results. Like a tornado a month ago still inflicts loss on its victims, and a war when it's over leaves pain and hardship on society for decades, so the believers with crucifixion with Christ gives continuing blessing and hope. The Bible emphatically teaches that Jesus died for our sin. Rome crucified its worst criminals to demonstrate they deserve the greatest shame. From Rome's perspective, crucifixion imposed the greatest disapproval of anyone From God's perspective, the crucifixion demonstrated God's curse on our sin. Galatians 3 verse 13 quotes, Scripture, cursed is he who hangs on a tree, indicating that when Jesus was on the cross, he experienced curse. So for three hours, the darkness announced God's curse on his only son. And that fact that it's a past word with a present result indicates that we're talking about our co-crucifixion which took place when Jesus was crucified. Philip Ryken wrote that when Jesus was crucified, four things were nailed to that cross. First, Jesus was. the pure Son of God, crucified in our place. Secondly, there was a public announcement nailed to the cross, Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews. Thirdly, our debt to sin was nailed on the cross for the wages of sin is death, and Christ died for us. But fourthly, we ourselves were nailed to the cross in our union with Christ. Certainly God nailed to the cross Paul's pride as a Pharisee, his zeal in persecuting the church, his self-righteous claim that he had kept God's law. God crucified everything the former Paul had stood Certainly God nailed to the cross all our woes, our condescension towards inferior people, our pride in our wealth and accomplishments, our self-centeredness, our frequent cynicism about whether believing in Jesus is enough. Everything the old man stood for God nailed to the cross of Christ. And though large remnants of sin can remain in our lives, the curse on it has been crucified. We received all this when we repented and turned to Christ. Then Christ's past history became ours. God crucified it already on the day when Jesus died. And in this way his crucifixion became your crucifixion in mine. I suppose this aspect of Jesus' work can be compared to the work of an airplane pilot who flies the plane from place to place. And yet he is not the only one flying. A whole cargo of customers, travelers, are flying with him. And yet although they fly from place to place together, it's not that their involvement is the same. The pilot is in charge of the journey and the passengers go along. So Jesus is in charge of the journey and he carries with him all those who trust in him. our co-crucifixion. In it, God crucified the lost bondage over us. It imposes an unimaginably terrifying hell on us. For those for whom God crucified Christ, He removed the guilt and curse. And the secret of the Christian life includes this indescribable relief that God has removed our curse from us in Christ. The secret of the Christian life includes union with Christ, crucifixion with Christ, and thirdly, life in Christ. With Christ I was co-crucified, yet I live. Yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And what I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Paul says here that though crucified, he now lives again. His spiritual resurrection to new life refers to his regeneration, the new birth God gave when God miraculously planted new life in him. There are many parts about Jesus' life on earth that dumbfound us. How could he be born of the Virgin Mary? How could he come to life again after he died and was buried? And we will never be able to use the laws of physics and biology and all the sciences combined to explain this because God did them miraculously with his divine power. We understand this confusion we have. And yet rarely do we understand or think about the fact that the new life of the Christian is equally amazing. It is equally powerful and equally divine. An amazing miracle in Christ that God performed in us. And it is the power of the Spirit that God sends. which enabled the Virgin Mary to give birth to the Son of God, which raised Jesus from the dead. This Spirit has raised us from the dead and given us life. It's the Spirit's power that explains how sinners like Paul, you and me can become new and can live in the beginning of holiness. The Spirit's work in Christ's name explains the power of the gospel that the Judaizers could never understand. Paul lived because Christ lived in him now. God doesn't deal with us using remote controls. His Spirit lives in the believer. The Bible calls us the temple of the Holy Spirit because He lives in us. And this explains what the Judaizers could not understand. Now some of us rent cabins in the summer by the lake where we take a vacation for a week or two. And immediately when we walk into the cabin we notice the filth where we hope to live. When our family lived in New Zealand we walked into a motel where we planned to stay for the night and discovered in a cupboard a saucepan filled with very old milk. And when we saw this we jumped into action. We cleaned the place up, we were going to live there. The Spirit does the same. He cleans up the place where He plans to live. So He remakes us so that we begin to resemble the Holy Christ. So yes, we come to Christ to seek His free grace. But no, His grace does not leave us unchanged. We live by the Spirit of Christ. because Christ lives in us. And Paul continues to explain how he lives this life in Christ. It is by faith. Understanding the wickedness of his sin, he turned himself to Christ. Christ loved him when he gave himself for him. This refers to the sacrifice of himself on the cross that Jesus offered. And by faith we entrust ourselves to the care of Jesus' grace. We trust that His sacrifice has paid for all our sins. We trust that His sacrifice has won God's full acceptance of us and has earned God's full embrace of us. Our faith trusts Christ's promise to return to glory, to return us to glory, and we believe this is absolutely true. And faith believes that no lingering sin, though it may severely discourage us at times, none of the sin can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Faith then comprises our response to union with Christ. For Christ abides in us by His Spirit, and we abide in Him by faith. So we've explored the secret of the Christian life. We do not call it a secret because only super-Christians can understand it. We do not call it a secret because the Bible says nothing about it. Rather we call it a secret because the world cannot understand it without the miraculous work of God in their lives. This work of Christ's grace uses a message, the gospel, and the Spirit takes that message and with it turns a heart to Christ. and brings Christ's presence in that heart so that now the old person has become new. If you turn from your sins to embrace Christ in his grace, at least three things describe you. God has united you to Christ. He has crucified you with Christ. and giving you life in Christ. What then should we do when it seems the gospel has no power? People who attend church can sometimes seem worse than people of the world. Or we ourselves may feel bored with the same gospel we've known for years and it now seems mighty uninteresting. Well we can say several things about under-impressed Christians. First we need to evaluate whether we've received this grace in Christ in the first place. Sometimes non-Christians slip into the church membership undetected. And as years go by, the struggles of this life can so overwhelm them and preoccupy them that the gospel seems the most uninteresting thing to them of all. And if that describes you, ask the Lord to show you your sin and His wrath on it so that you will profoundly understand your need for Christ and then run to Him for mercy. Or perhaps we have not realized as Christians the great privilege being in Christ actually gives. Maybe we have not thought about being united to the supreme Son of God. Or maybe we did not understand that all the blessings God gives for salvation are in Christ. Or maybe we have not understood fully that the curse is gone and Christ has come to live in us. If that describes you, ask the Lord to teach you more about this and to convince you of the miraculous reality which God gives you in Christ every day. then continually thank Him and tell others of your newfound joy. Recently I came across the words of a hymn. It's not good poetry. And if the theologians here study it in depth, they'll conclude it's not good theology. It's a humble effort, I think by an untrained person, to explain some of the truths which Galatians 20 declares. Our union with Christ, crucifixion with Christ, life in Christ. Some of the verses say this. Jesus, I live to thee the loveliest and the best. My life in thee, thy life in me, in thy blessed love I rest. Jesus, I die to thee whenever death shall come. To die in thee is life to me in my eternal home. Living or dying, Lord, I ask but to be Thine. My life in Thee, Thy life in me, makes heaven forever mine. Let us pray. Our Father in Heaven so frequently we minimize the glory of the Gospel. And the truths of unity in Christ, crucifixion in Christ, and life in Christ don't really register in our minds as realities we enjoy today. Our Father, let us understand the majesty of Jesus and who He is. and let us at least begin to glimpse the glory we have in being related to Him so thoroughly, so intimately, and so eternally. Our Father, we ask You that the fruit of the gospel will become evident in us so that those who know You at least can see Christ living in us. In his name we pray. Amen.