Galatians 2:20

20. I am crucified] Better, I have been crucified. The mention of death and life suggests the Death which bore fruit in Resurrection. The Christian is by faith ‘incorporated into’ Christ (Hooker). Of this incorporation Baptism is the sign and the pledge. Hence the prayer in the Office for Public Baptism, ‘that he may crucify the old man, and utterly abolish the whole body of sin; and that as he is made partaker of the death of Thy Son, he may also be partaker of His Resurrection’. Crucifixion, though a lingering mode of death, is yet as certain in its issue as that by the rope or the axe. Two robbers were ‘crucified with Christ’, on separate crosses. One was with Him in His Cross, and therefore with Him in Paradise.

nevertheless I live] more exactly, ‘And it is no longer I that live’. The ‘old man’ is crucified. The ‘new man’ which has put on the Lord Jesus Christ, is clothed in Him, has Him as the principle of its life (ch. Gal_3:27). Christ is now “our life” (Col_3:4), and ‘He that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us’, 1Jn_3:24.

the life which I now live in the flesh] my life as a man on earth, since I became a believer. It is termed ‘in the flesh’, to shew that more is meant than the life of the soul. St Paul was no mystic. With him Christianity was not abstraction from the duties of social life. It elevated, purified, ennobled them. He claimed and used his rights as a citizen of Rome, while living as a citizen of Heaven.

by the faith of the Son of God] Rather, ‘in faith’—a faith which has for its object the Son of God. The life in the flesh is lived in faith. This is the sum of practical religion. What a perversion of the truth to apply to those who withdraw from the world, with its duties, its trials, its opportunities, the title of ‘religious’!

The object of this faith is not termed, as usual, Jesus Christ. It is “the Son of God”. But that is not all. He, in His uncreated Majesty, as “the effulgence of the Father’s glory and express image of His substance”, could not win the confidence of the conscious sinner. But His eternal Sonship gave its value to His atoning sacrifice, and is “the source of His life-giving power”.

gave Himself for me] = delivered Himself up for me to anguish, and shame and death. The same verb occurs in the passive Rom_4:25, “who was delivered up”. Luther remarks on this passage, ‘Here have ye the true manner of justification set before your eyes, and a perfect example of the assurance of faith. He that can with a firm and constant faith say these words with Paul, is happy indeed. And with these words Paul taketh away the whole righteousness of the law and works”. See Additional Note, p. 90.

ADDITIONAL NOTE ON CH. Gal_2:20

This verse strikes the key-note of the Epistle, and is a summary of the whole Christian revelation subjectively considered. St Paul here discloses to our view the secret of his life as a Christian and as an Apostle, the mainspring of his wonderful activity, the source and the object of the enthusiasm by which he was inspired. We know something of his life and his labours. Here he tells us how that life was lived, and why those labours were undergone. A full record of his teaching has been preserved to us. Here is a summary of it all.

A comparison of two other passages of the N. T. will serve to throw light on this verse. In Eph_2:4 St Paul speaks of that ‘great love wherewith God loved us, and even when we were dead in sins quickened us together with Christ’. In Rev_1:5 St John ascribes praise ‘to Him that loveth us and released us from our sins in His own blood’. In the former of these passages, the love displayed is that of God the Father[36]. Here it is the Lord Jesus Christ who loved the Apostle. In the latter passage, the love of Christ is regarded as still exercised, unchanged, towards those who are its objects[37]. (Comp. Joh_13:1.) But in both passages it is the love of the Church collectively, not of the individual Christian, which is affirmed. In the verse before us St Paul appropriates this love. His language is intensely personal. ‘Who loved me’. He claims as his own the assurance made long before to the prophet Jeremiah (ch. Jer_31:3), ‘I have loved thee with an everlasting love’. Of this love the proof and pledge was the great Sacrifice of the Cross. He ‘gave Himself for me’. There is no boasting here, save that which the Apostle avows when he says (Gal_6:14) ‘God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’. Such boasting is the confidence of true humility, the faith which constitutes personal Christianity.

[36] This love of God is ‘in Christ Jesus our Lord’. Rom_8:39. Comp. Rom_8:35.

[37] The present tense, ‘loveth us’, has the support of the best MSS., and is adopted in the R. V.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gal_2:20-21

I am crucified with Christ.

The believers riddle

This verse enunciates three striking paradoxes which are realized in the experience of every Christian.

I. The judicial paradox, or the mystery of the believers legal standing. The believer, be it remembered, is a dead man to begin with, i.e., before he becomes a believer. In his natural condition he is an unpardoned transgressor, and therefore in the laws eye as good as dead. He is already taken, charged, tried, convicted, sentenced, shut up to the just judgment of wrath, and only waiting the hour of death to meet its execution. But now in Christ, who before the law acted as his representative, and for his sake became obedient unto death, he is executed too. So far as the claims of justice are concerned, he is crucified with Christ, i.e., Christs crucifixion stands for his, and he personally is free. He has died, and yet he lives!

II. The spiritual paradox, or the mystery of the believers inner life. The moment a man becomes a believer, he at the same time becomes the subject of an inward change, by which his old corrupt nature of sin is destroyed, and a new principle of holy life is implanted. Christ lives in him.

III. The practical paradox, or the mystery of the believers outer walk. While living in the body and in the world the believer is not under the dominion of either, but regulates his conduct and conversation by principles superior to both--by faith in the Son of God. Christs law is his rule of life; Christs person the object of his love. Conclusion:

1. The text examines us about our standing in the eye of the law. Are we crucified with Christ or not?

2. The character of our inner life. Are we spiritual men, or sensuous?

3. Our walk and conversation. Are we walking by faith, or by sight? (Anon.)

Christus et ego

I. The personality of the Christian religion. This verse swarms with I and me. Christianity brings out a mans individuality, not making him selfish, but making him realize his own separate existence, and compelling him to meditate on his own sin, his own salvation, his own personal doom unless saved by grace.

1. In proportion as our piety is definitely in the first person singular, it will be strong and vigorous.

2. In proportion as we fully realize our personal responsibility to God shall we be likely to discharge it.

II. The inter-weaving of our own proper personality with that of Jesus Christ. I think I see two trees before me. They are distinct plants growing side by side, but as I follow them downward, I observe that the roots are so interlaced and intertwisted that no one can trace the separate trees and allot the members of each to its proper whole. Such are Christ and the believer.

1. Dead to the world with Christ.

2. Alive to God in Christ.

3. The link between Christ and the believer--faith.

4. A union of love.

5. A union by sacrifice.

III. The life which results from this blended personality.

1. A new life.

2. A very strange life.

3. A true life.

4. A life of self-abnegation.

5. A life of one idea.

6. The life of a man.

7. The life of heaven. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Practical faith

Faith is not a piece of confectionery to be put upon drawing-room tables, or a garment to be worn on Sundays; it is a working principle, to be used in the barn and in the field, in the shop and on the exchange; it is a grace for the housewife and the servant; it is for the House of Commons and for the poorest workshop. I would have the believing cobbler mend shoes religiously, and the tailor make garments by faith, and I would have every Christian buy and sell by faith. Whatever your trade may be, faith is to be taken into your daily calling, and that is alone the true living faith which will bear the practical test. You are not to stop at the shop door and take off your coat and say, Farewell to Christianity till I put up the shutters again. That is hypocrisy; but the genuine life of the Christian is the life which we live in the flesh by faith of the Son of God. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The Christians life of faith

Every moment the life of the Christian is to be a life of faith. We make a mistake when we try to walk by feeling or by sight. I dreamed the other night, while musing upon the life of the believer, that I was passing along a road which a Divine call had appointed for me. The ordained pathway which I was called to traverse was amid thick darkness, unmingled with a ray of light. As I stood in the awful gloom, unable to perceive a single inch before me, I heard a voice which said, Let thy feet go right on. Fear not, but advance in the name of God. So on I went, putting down foot after foot with trembling. After a little while the path through the darkness became easy and smooth, from use and experience; just then I perceived that the path turned: it was of no use my endeavouring to proceed as I had done before; the way was tortuous, and the road was rough and stony; but I remembered what was said, that I was to advance as I could, and so on I went. Then there came another twist, and yet another, and another, and another, and I wondered why, till I understood that if ever the path remained long the same, I should grow accustomed to it, and so should walk by feeling; and I learned that the whole of the way would constantly be such as to compel me to depend upon the guiding voice, and exercise faith in the Unseen One who had called me. On a sudden it appeared to me as though there was nothing beneath my foot when I put it down, yet I thrust it out into the darkness in confident daring, and lo, a firm stop was reached, and another, and another, as I walked down a staircase which descended deep, down, down, down. Onward I passed, not seeing an inch before me, but believing that all was well, although I could hear around me the dash of falling men and women who had walked by the light of their own lanterns, and missed their foothold. I heard the cries and shrieks of men as they fell from this dreadful staircase; but I was commanded to go right on, and I went straight on, resolved to be obedient even if the way should descend into the nethermost hell. By and by the dreadful ladder was ended, and I found a solid rock beneath my feet, and I walked straight on upon a paved causeway, with a balustrade on either hand. I understood this to be the experience which I had gained, which now could guide and help me, and I leaned on this balustrade, and walked on right confidently till, in a moment, my causeway ended and my feet sank in the mire, and as for my other comforts I groped for them, but they were gone, for still I was to know that I must go in dependence upon my unseen Friend, and the road would always be such that no experience could serve me instead of dependence upon God. Forward I plunged through mire and filth and suffocating smoke, and a smell as of death-damp, for it was the way, and I had been commanded to walk therein. Again the pathway changed, though all was midnight still: up went the path, and up, and up, and up, with nothing upon which I could lean; I ascended wearily innumerable stairs, not one of which I could see, although the very thought of their height might make the brain to reel. On a sudden my pathway burst into light, as I woke from my reverie, and when I looked down upon it, I saw it all to be safe, but such a road that, if I had seen it, I never could have trodden it. My journey could only be accomplished in childlike confidence upon the Lord. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The life of faith

I. Death to the law is the condition of life unto God.

1. The part which the law performs in bringing about this death. By its own teaching the law proclaims its impotence, forbids our reliance on it, and prepares the way for Christ who delivers from its bondage.

2. The connection between death to the law and life unto God. Emancipation. Abject slavery exchanged for filial freedom.

II. Life unto God is a life of faith in the Son of God. It introduces the believer to

(1) a new power--even the power of a Divine life;

(2) a new motive--love. The believer works no longer up to the point of acceptance with God, but from that of sin forgiven and acceptance secured. (Emilius Bayley, B. D.)

Freedom from the law through death

I am crucified with Christ--wondrous words! I am so identified with Him that His death is my death. When He was crucified, I was crucified with Him. I am so much one with Him under law and in suffering and death, that when He died to the law I died to the law. Through this union with Him I satisfied the law, yielded to it the obedience which it claimed, suffered its curse, died to it, and am therefore now released from it--from its accusations and its penalty, and from its claims on me to obey it as the means of winning eternal life. By means of law He died; it took Him and wrought its will on Him. As our Representative in whom we were chosen and in whom we suffered, He yielded Himself to the law, which seized Him and nailed Him to the cross. When that law seized Him, it seized at the same time all His in Him, and through the law they suffered and died to it. Thus it is that by the law taking action upon them as sinners they died to the law. (John Eadie, D. D.)

Christ the source of sanctity

What principle can tend to cherish tenderness, lowliness, modesty, recollectedness, dignity, quietness in speech and manner, devotion and the winning grace of a pervading charity, so effectually as the abiding consciousness of our Lord dwelling and walking in ones self as a tabernacle of His own gracious election, and in others as in oneself according to the same promise? What can so sustain the soul above natural desires, in a higher sphere of life, in an ever-upward advance towards the glory of the heavenly Court, as the instinctive sense, rooted and grounded in the souls life, that there is a wedded union between the soul and the Lord who bought it with His own blood, and now Himself within it claims it for His own? What gives so keen a remorse at the hatefulness and horror of sin, as a conviction of its desecrating the organs, the limbs, the faculties which God inhabits and uses as the chosen vessel of His own sanctity? It is not what he himself is that forms the joy of the saint, nor the failing to be what God had willed him to be, that constitutes the remorse of the true penitent; but it is to the one the consciousness that God is in him, and he in God; and to the other the loss of a Presence in Whom alone is peace, and out of Whom is utter darkness. To realize what we are, or what we fail to be, we must appreciate what His abiding in us causes us to be. We can never truly look at ourselves separate from Him. Our power is His power in us. Our efforts are the putting forth of His strength. Our sin is, that after He had come to us, we resisted Him. (T. T. Carter, M. A.)

Christ in man

Christ liveth in the flesh still, in the body of every believer; not merely Jesus the humbled man, but Jesus the Christ of God; Jesus, who by the resurrection was declared to be the son of God with power, and proclaimed to angels and men as both Lord and Christ! Who liveth in me? Yourself! Nay, I am dead; I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I--Not thee! Ah, who then? Christ liveth in me. Yes, the mighty God liveth in thee, believer. Not thyself; not thy poor, weak, helpless self; but Christ by His power, the power of His Spirit liveth in thee. Ah, why then dost thou talk about impossibilities? Why say, I cannot do this; I cannot do that; I cannot attain to this or to that; I cannot overcome this or that enemy? Thou speakest foolishly, if thou speakest thus: and if thou now persistest in saying so, thou wilt speak falsely, aye, and blasphemously too: for not thou, but Christ liveth in thee. And who is mighty as He? Is Satan too many for Him who trampled on the power of all His enemies, who triumphed over them openly, and who led captivity captive? Ah, and is the flesh too powerful for Him? Who is the man who says, I must sin--I must sin; while I continue in the flesh I must continue to sin? And is sin too great, too powerful for Jesus, for Him who, when in the flesh, a Man of sorrows, encompassed with infirmities, beset by perils, a weak man, overcame it, and remained holy, harmless, undefiled? Did He, when thus weak through the flesh, put sin far away from before His face? And shall He not, now that He sits on the right hand of the Majesty on high, prevail against all your sins? O speak not so lightly of Him and of His power! (Edward Irving, M. A.)

The sinners Substitute

The Eternal Being gave Himself for the creature which His hands had made. He gave Himself to poverty, to toil, to humiliation, to agony, to the Cross. He gave Himself for me, for my benefit; but also for me, in my place. This substitution of Christ for the guilty sinner is the ground of the satisfaction which Christ has made upon the cross for human sin. But on what principle did the Sinless One thus take the place of the guilty? Was it, so to speak, an arbitrary arrangement, for which no other account can be given than the manifested will of the Father? No; the substitution of the suffering Christ for the perishing sinner arose directly out of the terms of the Incarnation. The human nature which our Lord assumed was none other than the very nature of the sinner, only without its sin. The Son of God took on Him human nature, not a human personality. He becomes the Redeemer of our several persons, because He is already the Redeemer of this our common nature, which He has made for ever His own (1Co_15:20). As human nature was present in Adam, when by his representative sin he ruined his posterity, So was human nature present in Christ our Lord, when by His voluntary offering of His Sinless Self, He bare our sins in His own body on the tree. Christ is thus the second Head of our race. Our nature is His own. He carried it with Him through life to death. He made it do and bear that which was utterly beyond its native strength. His Eternal Person gave infinite merit to its acts and its sufferings. In Him it died, rose, ascended, and was perfectly well-pleasing to the All-Holy. Thus by no forced or artificial transaction, but in virtue of His existing representative relation to the human family, He gave Himself to be a ransom for all. (Canon Liddon.)

Christs universal love

He loved me and gave Himself for me. Each sinner, each saint around His cross might have used these words of the apostle. For His blessed mother and St. John; for the Roman judge and for the Roman soldiers; for the chief priest and for the Pharisee; for the vilest and hardest of His executioners, and for the thieves who hung dying beside Him, our Lord gave Himself to death. For all who have been first and greatest, for all who have been least and last in human history, for all whom we have loved or seen, for our separate souls, He gave Himself. True, His creatures indeed are still free to accept and appropriate or to refuse His gift. But no lost soul shall murmur hereafter that the tender loving-kindness of God has not willed to save it. No saint in glory shall pretend that aught in him has been accepted and crowned save the infinite merit, the priceless gifts of his Redeemer. The dying love of Jesus embraces the race, and yet it concentrates itself with direct--as it seems to us--with exclusive intensity upon each separate soul. He dies for all, and yet he dies for each; as if each soul were the solitary object of His incarnation and of His death. (Canon Liddon.)

How Christian life is sustained

A Christian life is the living Christ manifesting Himself. It is the vital power putting forth leaves and fruits--the vine sending out its strength into the branches. It cannot be too deeply impressed upon us that Christianity is a profound connection of the soul with Christ--that it is not the imitation of a splendid model, but the indwelling of a living Person--that the Christ form is only the outward development of the Christ nature, the life manifesting itself after its kind. You all know that the various forms of vegetable creation are sustained and perfected by a secret, silent, but resistless power which we call life. It is this that lifts the oak in the forest am! spreads its mighty branches to the storm; and this that carpets the earth with verdure and decks the fields with teeming flowers. In the great and in the small, in the tree and in the herb, in the pine of the mountain and the grasses of the field, this secret but resistless principle asserts its power. Now, thus is it with us as Christian men; our Christianity is a principle of life; we are not imitations, we are alive; we are not artificial flowers, we are flowers growing in the garden, branches growing in the vine. (J. W. Boulding.)

Derived life

Christ is our life. How His life is made to be, at the same time, our own, is a mystery of grace, of which you have seen types in the garden, where just now so many millions of Gods thoughts are springing and growing into beautiful expression. You once grafted something on to a fruit tree. The process, though delicate, was most simple. You only had to be careful that there should be clean, clear, close contact between the graft and the tree. The smallest shred or filament of wrapping round the graft would have prevented the life of the tree from flowing into it. The weak, bleeding graft was fastened on to the strong stem just as it was, then in due time it struck, then gradually the tiny slip grew into the flourishing bough, and lately, as you stood looking at that miracle of tender formation and soft bright flush, you almost fancied it was conscious. It seemed to say, I live; nevertheless not I, but the tree liveth in me; and the life I now live in the foliage, I live by faith in the shaft of the tree. I trust to the tree only; every moment I am clinging to it, and without it I can do nothing. (Chas. Stanford, D. D.)

How Christ is appropriated by the individual soul

My conception of Christ is that He is mine: not mine in any sense which appropriates Him to me alone; but mine as really and truly as though I were the only human being in the universe. My father was absolutely mine, although my next younger brother could say the same thing, and though every brother and sister could say the same thing. I had the whole of him, and each of my brothers and sisters had the whole of him. And I have the whole of my God. The God of all the heaven, and the God of the whole earth, and of time, and of physical law and its sequence, and of all invisible laws and their sequences--He is my God. (H. W. Beecher.)

Mans double life

We all live in the midst of two worlds--a material world and a spiritual world. The material world is visible to all. We see it, and deal with it, every moment. The spiritual world is visible only to those whose eyes have been supernaturally opened to see it. But the one is as real and as great a fact as the other. They both are close to us. And every man is a centre round which they both are circulating.

1. The material world is the world of our senses. The spiritual world is the world of our faith. We come into the first at our natural birth; we enter the second at our regeneration. When we have entered it, it is far grander than the other.

2. The material world is beautiful and pleasant, but it has its dark shadows. It is not what it was once made to be. It brings its sorrows, disappointments, and regrets. It is always passing away. And soon, very soon, it will be but as the shadow of a dream! The spiritual world remains unfallen. It is hidden. But all the elements of our immortality are there, and it can never pass away.

3. In the material world are our friendships, ambitions, businesses, professions, earthly work, bodily pleasures. In the spiritual world are the ministrations of angels; the operations of the Holy Ghost, the presence of Christ; the sweet sense of pardon; the peace and love and service of God; an eternity begun; heaven always in sight; thoughts that satisfy; occupations that will never tire; joys that cannot fade. To the man who lives in the spiritual world, the material world is becoming small. He uses it, and enjoys it; but it is not his life. It is his servant, whom he employs; not his master, whom he obeys. And of that great spiritual and eternal world, which is about us everywhere, and in the midst of which, consciously or unconsciously, we are all walking every step, the circumference is glory--the key which opens it is faith--and its centre, from which all radiates and to which all converges, is the Son of God, His person and His work. (James Vaughan, M. A.)

Life in Christ

;--Life--the higher and truer life of a man--resolves itself into one thing, viz., trust in Jesus. Expand that trust, and you will find it life--life indeed--life for ever. Consider this life. The question was, How can a sinner live at all, and not die? seeing God has said, The soul that sinneth it shall die; and every one of us has sinned? Can God falsify His own word?

1. When Jesus died we died. We died in Him. So we have died, and our death is passed. We can live, and God be true.

2. But what makes life? Union with life. Christ is life. We are united to Christ, as a member is united to the head. And as the member lives because the head lives, we live by and in the life of Jesus Christ. That is life.

3. Now life thus possible, and thus made--what is it? Life is to live in every part of our being--body, intellect, heart, soul. Now what can engage the whole man but religion? And what is religion? The indwelling of Christ and the service of God.

4. Then of that life what is the motive power? Love. The love of God. Who can really love God but those who are forgiven, and who therefore can feel, God is my Father? And who can say that out of Jesus Christ?

5. And of that life what is the root? The Exemplar, the great Exemplar--the pattern of Christ.

6. What is its aim and focus? To please and glorify Him to whom it owes itself.

7. What is its consummation and rest? The presence, and the image, and the enjoyment, and the perfect service of God throughout eternity. (James Vaughan, M. A.)

The secret of the spiritual life

The secret of this life, which alone is life, is faith. And what is faith? Trust. And what is trust? Taking God simply at His word. Now, let us see what God has said concerning this life. God has said--He has repeated it under many forms and by many images--Believe and live. Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Now you must take that without any deduction, or any qualification, or any condition whatsoever. It is for all sinners--for sinners of every dye--without one single exception! The promise is to every one who will accept it. Accept what? Accept that the Son of God (and no other but the Son of God could do it, for no other would be an equivalent) the Son of God has, by His death, paid all the penalty and cancelled all your debt to God; and so the mandate has gone forth from the throne, Live! Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom. That done, your life from that moment--if you have faith enough--may be a life without any fear. Your sins forgiven are sins buried. And buried sins have no resurrection. They shall never be mentioned. They are remembered no more. (James Vaughan, M. A.)

Self-crucifixion the source of life

I. That self-crucifixion is the source of life. This is the reason; there is an old life which must utterly perish, that by its death and out of its death the new life may arise.

1. The death of the old life. The life that must be crucified before the Divine life can rise is the self-life in all its forms. Why must mans self-life die? It is the very ground and root of all sin. The assertion of the I of the self is the perpetual tendency of the flesh. I live is the watch-word of carnalism--there is no sin which is not an assertion of self as the principle of life. Man not always conscious of this, blinded to it. Thus the sensualist may be conscious only of the wild cravings of desire, but by yielding to them he is asserting his passion, his pleasure, to be greater than the law of God. The old self-life must die. Before the Cross, faith and love are self-crucifixion. Faith renounces self and destroys the old life. Love goes out of self to Christ.

2. The awakening of the new life. Nevertheless I live. This is more than being constrained by any new emotional motive of love; literally Christ was in St. Paul by His Holy Spirit. This is best understood by experience. You know that when you by faith died with Him to the flesh you felt the impulse of a life not yours possessing you, and inbreathing a Divine energy and a heavenly love. Christ living in you will consecrate all.

II. Nature of the life that springs from it.

1. Purity. The inspiration of the indwelling Christ will free from sensual and low temptation; it means perfect devotion to God.

2. Peace. Christ in us calms the troubled spirit; becomes the fulness of emotion.

3. Power. If the self-life is crucified with Christ, and Christ is dwelling in us, we have His power to overcome sin. The Cross-life is power, kingship over self. (E. L. Hull, B. A.)

The presence of Christ in the soul

Some men have called this doctrine of the real presence of Christ in the soul mystical and untrue. I only know that if it be so, the Bible is mystical and untrue, for the Saviour and His apostles assert it again and again in words which cannot be explained away. They speak little of motives or influences; they speak plainly of man being inspired by the actual contact of God, through the Eternal Spirit. It only seems mystical because we are so prone to fancy that we can explain spiritual processes by outer motives and influences. But what are the motives, what are the influences, which change a mans nature? They are only the words by which we feebly express the great mystery of the real touch of God. All creation seems to me to confirm this spiritual truth. We are driven to believe in the present action of God in the world. We speak of law, but law is only a phrase by which we hide our ignorance. What we call law is the act of God. The seed bursts into life not by dead laws, but the Eternal finger touches it, and it lives. The stars burn, not by dead laws; Gods glory smites them, and they light the firmament. The earth moves, not by dead laws; Gods arm propels it, and it rolls on its destined path through the untravelled infinity of space. And if the eternal power of the present God thus blooms in the flower, glows in the stars, and is seen in the majestic march of worlds, shall we not much rather believe that the real Spirit of the living Christ is in actual contact with the soul when, crucified with Him, it wakes to a life of immortal beauty? This, then, is the life springing from self-crucifixion--Christ in the soul, forming it into a new creature. Until the old life has perished He cannot live there, for only when the forces of the carnal nature are destroyed can His holy presence dwell within. I cannot describe it, but you may know it. (E. L. Hull, B. A.)

The Christians communion with the death and life of Christ

Peculiar language. One clause seems to contradict another. Yet no real contradiction; but strikingly suitable language to express the mysteries of faith respecting Christs union with His people, and their consequent participation of the benefits of His sufferings and death.

I. The believers crucifixion with Christ, or his communion with Him in His death. The meaning is: The ends of Christs crucifixion are accomplished in me.

1. Believers are crucified with Christ, in virtue of their legal union to Him as their Head of righteousness. Christ and His people are as one body, one mass; He the Sanctifier, and they the sanctified, are all one.

2. Really and spiritually crucified with Him, through union to Him as their Head of living and quickening influence.

II. The believers life in Christ, or communion with Him in His life.

1. He is invested with a righteousness commensurate to all the demands of the Divine law.

2. With respect to his sanctification also, it may be said that the believer lives--yet not he, but Christ lives in Him.

3. With respect to the life of consolation and glory, it may be said that it is not the believer who lives, but Christ lives in him.

III. The influence of faith in maintaining this life.

1. Faith as the means of our union with Christ, is necessary to our communion with Him, both in His righteousness and His grace.

2. By faith our communion with Christ is carried on, in our receiving of all His benefits.

3. Faith is the means of the spiritual life, as it terminates on the promises, the apprehension of which has so powerful an influence both on our peace and our purity (2Co_7:1; Psa_27:13-14).

4. Faith is the means of the spiritual life, as by bringing eternal things near, it counterbalances the temptations and terrors of the world (1Jn_5:5; Heb_11:1-40.).

5. Faith is the means of the spiritual life, as it supplies from its contemplation of the love of Christ fresh motives to obedience and patience (2Co_5:14).

6. As it refers to the authority of Christs law, and enables the Christian to perceive the reasonableness even of the most difficult of His precepts, as well as the awful responsibility under which he lies to Christs judgment (2Co_5:9-11; Heb_11:6).

7. Faith, by making the Christian habitually conversant with spiritual objects and motives of conduct, gives a spiritual character even to the common actions and enjoyments of this natural life. (M. Willis.)

Crucified with Christ

This extremely bold, startling, and paradoxical assertion of the apostle, is a metaphorical, pictorial statement of a great spiritual truth, about all really Christian life. Every genuine Christian, who is really united to Christ by living faith, has been crucified with Christ; and since he still lives, his life thereafter is the life of Christ in him.

I. The context will furnish us with the first ray of the light we seek. St. Paul is combating an error subversive to Christianity itself, viz., ritualism. He declares that if you go back to that--to the old notion that by deeds you can be justified--you are going back again to law, and have left Christ behind,

II. What is the universal spiritual truth represented by these images--dead with Christ, Christ living in us? If you have really gone to God with the prayer and hope of faith, resting on the propitiation of Christ, you have died to sin. It is as if you had been crucified with Christ. It may be that your Christian history contains no moment of mighty conscious change; that your change took place by slow and imperceptible degrees, more like education than conversion. In that case, it would not be likely that you should feel this great truth about yourself as Paul felt it. Your death to sin may have been less like a crucifixion, a sudden, painful, yet blissful, inevitably conscious severance from it, than like a slow, lingering, almost painless process; like a disease whose stages of advance could never be marked by hours or days. But still it is true of you; if you be hoping in God through Jesus Christ our Lord, you have been crucified with Christ to that huge guilt of which law, just and holy law, convicted you; and having thus died to it, you have no more to fear from it. God has severed it and you. And it is now for you to recognize the grand truth, and rejoice in it.

III. This crucifixion has respect to something else than the previous guilt or debt to Divine law. Sin is not merely an external thing; an ever-accumulating mass of wrong deeds and words, of omissions and neglects. All these are the results of what we are. The seat of sin is in the soul. The working of the evil element has produced evil habits and tendencies. These must be eradicated. The old nature has to be mortified, crucified; and in its place Christ is to reign. (G. W. Conder.)

The old life and the new

Think of a man who is living to himself, without any thought of God, or any earnest endeavour to serve or please Him. Living to gratify only his own tastes, passions, desires, and none elses. Self-interest his law, self-love his inspiration, self-satisfaction his end and aim, self his god. This is the man. Not the caricature of him--his faithful portrait. If he be not living unto God, he must be that; there is no alternative. Look well at him as such. Scan him closely for an instant more, a man whose whole principle, law, motive, aim, end, is self. And now, see him again, emerging, as it were, from Christs sepulchre with Christ, his hand in his Saviours, yielding to the loving entreaty of the Lord to come hopefully to God; to confess his sin, and be pardoned. How completely altered his mien! How relaxed that stiff unbending erectness which formerly marked him! How softened down that stern unlovely expression which spoke from his every feature. Surely the proud, harsh, unyielding spirit of self must have been outcast from him, left behind him in the grave of Christ. It is not the same man. God! Gods law! ,Gods favour! tits anger, His pardon, His help and guidance, that used to be nothing to him, are everything to him now. If he could, he would so grave that law in him as that its force could never depart from him. If he might, he would stay there for ever gazing on God, never to look at anything else, lest he should sin again. (G. W. Conder.)

Christ in the soul

Hear the testimony of one who has experienced this. He says to you, You know my former life. It was I who lived then. It was my ideas, my wishes, my passions, my tastes, which moved me then. But it is not so now. I have seen Christ, I have heard Him, have begun to love Him, and He is to me, in addition to being my glorious and living Friend outside-me, with whom I can converse and to whom I can pray, also a living system of truths, a living revelation of Divine ideas. Truth has laid hold of me by Him; has entered into me; has won my approbation, my choice, aye, my intense desire. Eternity touches me by Him. Law attracts, governs me through Him. God is very near to me in Him. Man is more beautiful and great to me in Him. He is the portrait of what I may be, and desire to be. I see obstacles overcome in Him. Hope fills me from Him. Holiness begins to suffuse me from Him. He is all in all to me. And so my new life is no longer that self-prompted thing it once was. It is, though still my life, because I choose and love it, nevertheless all of it derived, drawn, inspired from Christ. I live--nevertheless not I, but Christ liveth in me. (G. W. Conder.)

The part of faith in the new life

And now you will see what part faith plays in the matter. Obviously it is the connecting link betwixt that Incarnate Truth and my inner self. Here is a man who once did not see, and therefore could not believe it. And he had no Divine life in him--nothing but what was perishable; all of it, its joys, hopes, attainments--perishable. But, he came at last to see, aye, to believe. The record, the saying, the preaching, was fact in his esteem. And immediately--as the fluid flies along the galvanic wire when it has contact--immediately, by the contact of a living faith, a faith of the heart, the influence, the vitalizing, Divine force of that truth begins to flood his being, and he begins to live a life that shall never rile. (G. W. Conder.)

Faith and the spiritual life

I. The nature of faith

1. As described in the Bible.

2. As defined by theological writers.

3. As elucidated by familiar illustrations.

II. The relation of faith to the spiritual life.

1. It is a realizing grace.

2. It is a strengthening grace.

3. It is a receiving grace.

4. It is a uniting grace. (George Brooks.)

The spiritual life

The apostle had said before, that we are justified by faith alone, and not by the works of the law; and that a believer was crucified with Christ. Now, says he, this doctrine that I have preached unto you, is no way opposite unto our spiritual life, or unto our holiness; yet, now I live, or nevertheless I live.

I. Every true believer, every godly, gracious man, is a living man, lives a spiritual life, is in the state of life (Joh_6:40; Joh_6:47-48; Joh_6:54-55).

1. What is this spiritual life?

(1) It is a supernatural perfection (Eph_4:18).

(2) It rises from our union with Christ by the Spirit.

(3) It is that supernatural perfection whereby a man is able to act, and move, and work towards God as his utmost and last end.

2. Whereby may it appear, that every godly, gracious man, is thus a living man, made partaker of this spiritual life, so as to be able to act, and move, and work towards God as his utmost end?

(1) Take the life of plants and herbs, or of flowers; and what is the essential property of the vegetative life? It is to grow. So with saints; they grow in grace (Psa_84:7; Rom_1:27; 2Co_3:18).

(2) What is the essential property of the sensitive life, of the life of beasts and birds? To be sensible of good or evil suitable to it. This is found also in saints (Rom_7:23-24).

(3) What is the essential property of the life of reason? To understand, to know, and to reflect on a mans own actions. This distinguishes a man from a beast. Every godly, gracious man, especially, has this power. So, then, take the argument in the whole, and it lies thus: If a godly, gracious man have all the essential properties of those three lives, in a spiritual way and manner, then certainly he is in the state of life, and doth lead a spiritual life.

3. But how does it appear that others are not in this state of life?

(1) He that believeth not is spiritually dead (Joh_3:36; Joh_5:40).

(a) If we be alive indeed, and made partakers of this spiritual life, why then should we not live at a higher rate than the world do, which have none of this life?

(b) If we be alive indeed, and made partakers of this spiritual life, why should our hearts run after the things of the world, so as to feed on them as our meat, to be satisfied with them?

(c) If we be alive indeed, why is our communion and fellowship together no more living? A living coal warms.

II. Our justification by faith alone is no enemy, but a real friend to our spiritual life. How comes this to pass?

1. The more a man forsakes any good thing of his own for Christ, the more Christ is engaged to give a man His good things. There is no losing in losing for Jesus Christ.

2. God never causes any man to pass under any relation, without giving him the ability needed for its duties.

3. The more a man agrees with God and the law, the more fit he is to walk with God and observe the law.

4. Faith establishes a man in the covenant of grace. (W. Bridges.)

Fellowship with the Redeemers death

This must be taken in connection with two other texts in this crucifixion Epistle, viz., 5:24, and 6:14. The three together exhibit--

I. The order.

II. The characteristics.

III. The perfection of personal religion as fellowship with the Redeemers death.

I. The sinner, condemned by the law, makes the sacrifice of the great Substitute his own, and is, therefore, legally released from its penalty.

II. The flesh, or the old man remaining in the pardoned believer, is hanged up, and delivered to death in the same mystical fellowship.

III. The saint glorying in Christ crucified as the ground of his acceptance, and the source of his sanctification, is crucified with Rim to the world and all created things that belong not to the new creation. Let us read these words, where they were written, at the foot of the Cross. (W. B. Pope, D. D.)

The Christians crucifixion with Christ

I. Christ crucified.

1. A great mystery.

2. The way to glory.

(1) For Christ.

(2) For us.

3. The ground of our highest glorying.

II. Paul crucified.

1. Sin has a body (Rom_7:24; Col_3:5.).

2. Sin and grace cannot co-exist any more than life and death.

3. Kill your runs or they will kill you.

4. And this not only in the matter of notorious crimes, but in the whole carriage of your lives.

5. Thus to be a Christian is a serious thing.

6. Afflict not so much your bodies as your souls.

III. Paul crucified with Christ.

1. Many are crucified, but not with Christ.

(1) The covetous and ambitious man with the world.

(2) The envious man by his own thoughts: Ahithophels cross.

(3) The desperate man with his own distrust: Judass cross.

(4) The superstitious man.

(5) The felon and justly: the cross of the two malefactors.

2. Paul was crucified with Christ.

(1) In partnership. Christ s crucifixion is re.acted in us.

(a) In His agony, when we are afflicted with Gods displeasure against sin.

(b) In His scourging, when we tame our flesh with holy severity.

(c) In His crowning with thorns, when we bear reproaches for His name.

(d) In His affixion, when all our powers are fastened to his royal commandments.

(e) In His transfixion, when our hearts are branded with Divine love.

(2) In person.

(a) As in the first Adam all lived and then died, so in the second Adam all die and are made alive.

(b) Our real union with Christ makes His Cross and Passion ours.

(c) Every believer may comfort himself that having died with Christ he shall not die again. (Bishop Hall.)

Life in Christ

I. Christ dwelling by faith in the heart becomes the principle of a new life.

II. From this life, as an inexhaustible fountain, the believer draws to the supply of his wants and fruitfulness in well doing.

III. What properly distinguishes the believers life in the flesh and makes it what it is, is its being kept in perpetual fellowship with Christ.

IV. The recognition of the truth that as dying and atoning Jesus becomes a source of new life runs out into appropriating confidence. (Principal Fairbairn.)

Death and life

I. Death by sin.

1. Its guilt makes us liable to condemnation.

2. Its filth, which makes us odious.

3. Its punishment, which is death eternal.

II. The tree of life affords the antidote to sin.

1. The life of justification. The righteousness of Christ, cancelling the obligations of the law, frees us from the first.

2. The life of sanctification, which is Christ in us.

3. The life of joy and cheerfulness, which makes us more than conquerors. (T. Adams.)

Christian enthusiasm

I. Christian enthusiasm is possible under great natural disadvantages.

II. This enthusiasm must be maintained by continued faith in Christ.

III. It is heightened by the consciousness of the personal love of Christ.

IV. It is gloriously aroused by thankfulness to God for His unspeakable gift.

V. The Christian feels free to serve Christ enthusiastically because Christ has borne the penalty due to sin.

VI. Christian enthusiasm, so far from crushing individuality and independence, emphasizes them.

VII. It overpowers unhealthy self-consciousness.

VIII. The source of it all is the indwelling Christ. (C. Stanford, D. D.)

Paradoxes

I. Christian existence is a death and yet a life.

II. The believer lives and yet he does not live.

III. The believers life is a life in the flesh, but nor according to the laws of the flesh. (T. Hamilton, A. M.)

The life of faith

may be considered with respect to--

I. Its object, the promises of the new covenant as--

1. Our justification.

2. Sanctification.

3. The supplies of the present life.

4. Everlasting blessedness.

II. Its trials, or the evils that seem to infringe the comfort of the promises.

1. Afflictions.

2. Temptations.

III. Its effects, as--

1. Holy duties and exercises of grace.

2. The ordinances by which it is fed and increased, as the Word, prayer, and sacraments.

3. The duties of charity, of public and private relations, as honouring God, in our generation and callings. (T. Hamilton, A. M.)

The faith of the Son of God

So called because--

I. He is the revealer of it (Joh_1:17).

II. He is the author of it (Heb_12:2).

III. He is the object of it. (T. Adams.)

An idyll of the Divine life

I. Its personal interest.

II. The burthen of it.

III. Its inspiring power. (A. J. Muir, M. A.)

Pauls estimate of the religion of Christ

The living Person in whom we trust, not the system of precepts which we follow, or of dogmas which we receive, is the centre of the Christian society. The name by which religion in all subsequent times has been known is not an outward ceremonial (θρήσκεια) as with the Greeks, nor an outward restraint (religio) as among the Romans, nor an outward law as among the Jews; it is by that far higher and deeper title which it first received from the mouth of St. Paul, the faith. (Dean Stanley.)

Lent and Easter

A Lent of mortification--I am crucified with Christ. An Easter of resurrection--I live, etc. (Bishop Hall.)

Sharing Christs Cross

We must have our part with Christ in every part of His Cross. In the transverse, by the ready extension of our hands to all good works of piety, justice, and charity; in the arrectary, or beam, by uninterrupted perseverance in good; in the head, by an elevated hope and looking for of glory; in the foot, by a lively and firm faith, fastening our souls upon the affiance of His free grace and mercy. And thus shall we be crucified with Christ. (Bishop Hall.)

Crucifixion with Christ

The phrase carries us back to the historical scene. There Christ was crucified with two thieves. Jesus was crucified with us, that we might be crucified with Him. He entered into our pain that we might enter into His peace. He shared the shame of the thieves, that Paul might share His glory. This double truth was manifest at the time of Christs suffering. You remember the penitent thief, as their crosses were lifted side by side, he saw Christ entering into his wretchedness. Before the feeble tortured breath had left the body, he had entered into Christs glory. (Phillips Brooks, D. D.)

The power of the Cross

The other night a friend of mine witnessed a drunken brawl. There was a man there who continued in the brawl, and his wife came out of the crowd and said: I will go and fetch baby to him; that will bring him out if anything will. Ah! she was a philosopher, though she did not know it. She wanted to get to the deepest part of the mans nature. She did not talk of policemen and prison; she wanted to bring the innocent one before him, as much as to say, Will you make a thorny couch for this little one to lie upon? Will you forge a dagger with which to pierce this little ones heart? And in a measure she came in the spirit of the gospel; for the gospel comes to make us hate sin by showing that another suffered and died for it. (C. Vince.)

Life in Christ

This is a striking point of union,, between Paul and John; the Pauline form of He that hath the Son hath life. (W. B. Pope, D. D.)

As the mistletoe, having no root of its own, both grows and lives in the stock of the oak, so the apostle, having no root of his own, did live and grow in Christ. As if he had said, I live, I keep a noble house, am given to hospitality, but at anothers cost, not at mine own. I am beholden to Christ. I have not a farthing of mine own. He carrieth the pack for me, and gives out to me according to my necessities. (Surinnock.)

The immortality of life in Christ

The sun might say every morning in the spring, I am come that the earth may have life and have it more abundantly; I am come that the fields may grow, that the gardens and vineyards be more fruitful, that the beauty of the landscape may appear, that the dead may become alive, and the world be filled with joy. And the sun might add, I am the resurrection and the life; I raise the buried flowers and herbs from their graves, and cause them to live. But they perish in the autumn. The Christian shall never perish; never by annihilation, absorption, or eternal misery. (Thomas Jones.)

The progressiveness of the life of Christ

Man was made to grow. To stand still in the course of nature is to die. When the force that raised the mountain to its height had ceased, that moment the mountain began to sink again; when the tree stops growing it begins to decay; when the human body has attained its perfection, when the tide of growth has reached its highest mark, it begins to recede. But the life that Christ gives means everlasting progress in knowledge, love, usefulness, and bliss. (Thomas Jones.)

Pauls flesh

It was hard for an enthusiast to live in flesh like Pauls. He suffered so much from his eyes that the rough Galatians felt so much for him that they would have been willing to give him their own. He suffered so much from his hands, that when his great heart was full, and he longed to dash off a missionary letter, he was unable to hold a pen. He suffered so much from shattered nerves, that his first appearance among strangers was in weakness, fear, and much trembling. Who can always be calm and wise and bold, have a commanding presence, and secure a fascinated silence, when he always works in weakness, when pain is ever crashing through the sensibilities, when the smallest frictional touch can sting the life to agony. (Thomas Jones.)

Strong in Christ

Plant the tenderest sapling in the ground, and all the elements of nature shall minister to its wants. It shall feed upon the fatness of the earth, its leaves shall be wet with dew, it shall be refreshed with the showers of spring, and the warmth of summer shall cause it to grow. In like manner the man who is rooted in Christ, united to Him by faith and love, shall be energized and made strong for the work which he has to do. (Thomas Jones.)

The personal love and gift of Christ

All that Christ did and suffered He did for thee as thee; not only as man, but as that particular man, which bears such and such a name; and rather than any of those whom He loves should appear naked before His Father, and so discover the scars and deformities of their sins, Christ would be content to do and suffer as much as He hath done for any one particular man yet. But beyond infinite there is no degree; and His merit was infinite because both an infinite Majesty resided in His person, and because an infinite Majesty accepted His sacrifice for infinite. (John Donne, D. D.)

Life in the flesh

When Paul and his companions were shipwrecked at Melita, the apostle set to work like other people to gather fuel for the fire. Even so you and I must take our turn at the wheel. We must not think of keeping ourselves aloof from our fellow-men as though we should be degraded by mingling with them. We are men, and whatever men may lawfully do we may do; wherever they may go we may go. Our religion makes us neither more nor less than human, though it brings us into the family of God. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Luthers motto

Luthers motto was, Vivit Christus, Christ liveth. How to use life:--Two friends gathered each a rose; the one was continually smelling at it, touching its leaves, and handling it as if he could not hold it too fast; you do not wonder that it was soon withered. The other took his rose, enjoyed its perfume moderately, carried it in his hand for a while, then put it on the table in water, and hours after it was almost as fresh as when it was plucked from the bough. We may dote on our worldly gear until God becomes jealous of it and sends a blight upon it; and, on the other hand, we may, with holy moderateness, use these things as not abusing them, and get from them the utmost good they are capable of conveying to us. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Great love

We read in English history of the rare affection of Eleanor, wife of Edward

I. The king having received a wound by a poisoned dagger, she put her mouth to the wound to suck out the poison, venturing her own life to preserve her husbands. But the love of Christ was greater than this. (R. B.)

Christs love is an individual love

The great trouble is that people take everything in general, and do not take it to themselves. Suppose a man should say to me: Moody, there was a man in Europe who died last week, and left five million dollars to a certain individual. Well, I say, I dont doubt that; its rather a common thing to happen, and I dont think anything more about it. But suppose he says: But he left the money to you. Then I pay attention; I say: To me? Yes, he left it to you. I become suddenly interested. I want to know all about it. So we are apt to think Christ died for sinners; He died for everybody, and for nobody in particular. But when the truth comes to me that eternal life is mine, and all the glories of heaven are mine, I begin to be interested. (Moody.)

The substitute

A negro of one of the kingdoms on the African coast who had become insolvent, surrendered himself to his creditor, who, according to the custom of the country, sold him for a slave. This affected his son so much that he came and reproached his father for not selling his children to pal his debts; and, after much entreaty, he prevailed on the captain to accept him, andliberate his father. The son was put in chains, and on the point of sailing to the West Indies, when the circumstances coming to the knowledge of the governor, he sent for the owner of the slaves, paid the money that he had given for the old man, and restored the son to his father. (Biblical Treasury.)

The life of faith

I. What is this faith? Faith is a grace, by which we believe Gods Word in general, and in a special manner do receive Christ, and rest upon Him for grace here and glory hereafter.

1. There is assent.

2. Consent.

3. Affiance. Resting on Christ.

II. How, and why, are we said to live by faith? Distinct graces have their distinct offices. In Scripture language we are said to live by faith, but to work by love. There must be life before operation. Now we are said to live by faith--

1. Because it is the grace that unites us to Christ.

2. Because all other graces are marshalled and ranked under the conduct of faith. It is the first stone in the spiritual building, to which all the rest are added. Without faith, virtue would languish, our command over our passions be weak, and the back of patience quite broken, and our care of the-knowledge of Divine things very small.

3. Because whatever is ascribed to faith, redounds to the honour of Christ. The worth lies in the object, as the ivy receives strength from the oak round which it winds. Faith does all, not from any intrinsic worth and force in itself; but all its power is in dependence upon Christ. We are said to live by faith, as we are said to be fed by the hand; it is the instrument.

4. Because faith removes obstructions, and opens the passages of grace, that it may run more freely. Expectation is the opening of the soul (Psa_81:10).

III. Observations concerning this life.

1. Life must be extended, not only to spiritual duties and acts of immediate worship, but to all the actions of our natural and temporal life. A true believer sleeps, eats, drinks, in faith. Every action must be influenced by religion, looking to the promises.

2. We never act nobly in anything, till we live the life of faith.

3. We never live comfortably, till we live by faith.

4. The life of faith is glory begun. First we live by faith, and then by sight (2Co_5:7). Faith now serves instead of sight and fruition (Heb_11:1). (T. Adams.)

Humanity in union with God

The late Bishop Ewing, writing of his friend Thomas Erskine, said, His looks and life are better than a thousand homilies; they show you how Divine a thing humanity is, when the life we live in the flesh is that of conscious union with God.

Real religion

Here is the whole sum of St. Pauls experience, the heart of his heart, the gem out of which his life grew. It was this inward conviction that made him what he was. And this is the one thing the world wants. You who work for God, keep your own consciousness of His love alive; if that gets dim, your word is poverty-stricken and empty.

I. Here is real religion: the inward conviction that the son of God loved me, and gave himself for me. After seeking religion for thirty-nine years, John Wesley stands in a little room in Aldersgate-street, London, reading the Epistle to the Galatians and Luthers notes on it; and as he reads it, he says, I felt a strange warmth at my heart, and a blessed persuasion wrought into me, that the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me; and up he leapt, mighty, resistless, sweeping through this land like the flame of the fire of God. What does it avail to know all about the life of Christ, if thy heart has not got hold of Him?

1. It is not knowledge that saves. A man in the desert may die for thirst, and yet he may know all about water and its properties.

2. It is not hope that saves. You must have a right foundation for your hope.

II. There are three steps up to this.

1. Here is all majesty--He; and utter insignificance--me. He stands over me, and so redeems my life from its lowliness.

2. Here is all goodness, and all unworthiness. He draws us to His heart and tells us of His love. Claim this love, rest on it, exult in it.

3. Love alone cannot save. He must give Himself for me. Here is the condemned prisoner in his cell, and there beside him is his Friend, who loves him; and the tears are flowing down His cheeks as He says, I am so sorry for you. But that doesnt loosen the fetters and open the prison doors. But look! that Friend is gone, and the door is shut, and now hark! Without the prison walls is heard the shout, Crucify Him. What does it mean? Now steps approach the door, and it is flung open, and the chains are knocked off. Come forth; thou art free. How? Why? And the man is told, Why, He who loved thee hath given Himself for thee, and hath satisfied the claims of the law. That is our Friend, Jesus Christ. Let the hand of thy faith claim Him now. (New Outlines.)

Christs love for individuals

When the Prince of Wales went over to Ireland in the spring of 1885, he went about and saw with his own eyes how poor some of the people of Dublin were. He went down to the places where they lived, and into their houses, and spoke to them, and was as kind as kind could be; and they were glad of it. For a real prince--the son of a great queen, and a prince who is to be a king himself one day if God spares him--for him to go down to the poor quarter of the city and be interested in the poor people there and be friendly with them, it was just like sunshine I And that is just what it is like when a boy or girl, a man or woman, can say these words truly, The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. I once read of a man who was so loving, and good, and kind, that it was said he loved everybody in the London Directory. Now the London Directory is a big, big book, for there are some millions of names and addresses there, and my name is there too; and when I heard that this good man loved everybody whose name was in that directory, I supposed that he loved me too; but I confess I didnt mind it much, for I didnt think he could love my very self, because he didnt know me, myself. If I had only been sure that when he saw my name he thought about me really, as any friend of mine would have done, then it would have been very different, and I would have been touched by his kindness. And that is how many people think when they say, God so loved the world. Of course they know He must have loved them too; but then, it is such a different thing to be loved like one in a crowd, and to be loved your very own self. Yet that is how Jesus loves us. He loves us, every one; He knows us, every one; and so we can each say truly, He loved me, and gave Himself for me. (J.R. Howatt.)

Gods love specific and personal

The presentation of this thought stirs up a great many doubts in those who have been exercised thereby. Men think that Paul probably was beloved, that Peter was beloved, and that many others were beloved. Men look around, and think that their mother was beloved, and that others, with superior natures and symmetrical parts, and full of moral excellences, were beloved. They can well conceive how those who draw upon their amiable feelings, might likewise excite in the Divine mind personal affection. But they say, When men love single persons, it does not follow that they love all persons. And God loves men, doubtless; but does He love every one? God so loved the world, is the comprehensive answer to that question. God loved the world, and the whole world. And the word, world, for its definition and boundaries, runs through all time and among all races. It included in it all individuals, from age to age. Everywhere God loved the whole world. Yes, men say, But God loves men after He has made them loveable. But the apostle says, God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Love, which death tested but could not measure, was shed abroad toward each man and the whole world, without moral conditions. That is the import of what the apostle says. Gods disinterestedness is made plain, in that He loves each man, not on condition of repentance, but whether he repents or not. He loves men, not because there is that in them which has a tendency to excite complacency, but though they are sinful. He loves unlovely men. Yea, men that we could not love, God loves. And His love is not generic. It is not a part of the governmental benevolence: It is individualized both ways--in the heart of God, and in the heart of the recipients. It is Gods nature to love what His eye looks upon. Every human being, whether good or bad, God loves. I do not say that it makes no difference to God whether men are good, or whether they are bad, but I do say that the great crowning fact of Divine love has no respect of character--that it precedes character, and is not founded upon it. To be sure, the benefit of that love to us depends very largely upon our faith, and upon our repentance, but the existence of the Divine personal love does not depend on us in anywise. It is--if I may apply to God language which belongs to men--the constitutional nature of God. It is the tendency of His attributes. Love is the test of Divinity. It carries with it a great many other things. It carries with it in God the conception of purity, and of uprightness, and of integrity of disposition, and of justice, and of truth. It carries with it, also, the full idea of instrumentality--both penalty and reward, pleasure and pain. And back of all these, as the root-ground out of which they spring, as the source from which they come, as the animating influence which runs through them all, is love. And that love is personal to us. It is Divine, infinite; and yet it touches each one by name throughout the whole realm.

1. The love of God is the one truth which nature, as it is developed by matter alone, cannot teach us. It is one of the most profound pieces of speculation, how there can be a moral government, and yet so much suffering and power of evil in this world. The world has been the stumbling-block of thoughtful men from the beginning.

2. This truth of the Divine love is the one truth through which nature looks, beyond all others in our apprehension, in our systems of theology, and in our preaching. Though men speak of the love of God, there are comparatively few who have that crowning knowledge of it which indicates that it is genuine, deep, certain, abiding. We think that if we fix ourselves up a little, God will perhaps love us. A man is in deep distress, and there is a great heart in the neighbourhood, and he is told that if he will go and tell that great heart what his mistakes have been, and what his misfortunes are, that great heart will certainly relieve him. And instantly he begins to think of himself, and to fix himself to go to that great heart, covering up his rags the best way he can, and hiding his elbows so that they shall not be seen, and putting a little touch on his shoes that are clouted and ruptured; and then goes in. But do you suppose it makes any difference to that great heart to whom he goes, that his clothes are a little less dirty, or that they have a few less patches on them, or that his shoes are a little less soiled or torn? It is the man behind the clothes that the benevolent heart thinks of. It is not what the needy man is, but what the benefactor is, that determines what he will do. Why does he take that man into his compassion, and say to him, Come again? Does he do it because of what he sees in the man? or because of what he feels in himself? Why does a bird sing? because he thinks you would like to hear him? No; but because there is that in him which tickles him and fires him till he has to sing. He sings to bring joy out of himself. He sings because it is his nature to sing. A music-box does not play because you say, Do play; nor because you say, It is exquisite and charming. It does not care for your compliments and comments. And so it is with the Divine nature. That is the way God is made--if I may use human language in application to the Divine nature. That is being God. And yet how few there are who think of God as generously as He thinks of them! We have attempted to build a theology which shall prevent men from going wrong. But God Himself never prevented a mans going wrong; and you will never do it. What we want in that direction is to get an influential conception of God; and our theology must bring God out in such lines, in such lineaments, and in such universal attractiveness, that men shall follow their yearnings and drawings, rather than their cold reasonings and intellections. One would think to hear theologians reasoning about God and the methods of salvation, and the motives of Divine procedure, that He was a fourth-proof lawyer judge, and that He sat surrounded by infinite volumes of statutes and laws, running back to eternity, and running forward to eternity; and that in every case of mercy He said, Let Me consider first. Does it agree with the statute? When a poor sinner comes to Him, undone, wretched, miserable, has He to consult His books to see whether he can be saved so as not to injure the law, saying, Let us examine the law, to see if it will do to save him? Oh I away with this pedantic judge. Such a judge is bad enough in the necessities of a weak earthly government, and is infinitely shameful when brought to the centre of the universe, and deified, There I behold God, flaming with love, backward and forward, either way, filling infinite space with the magnitude and blessedness of His love; and, if some questioning angel asks, How shalt Thou save and keep the law? I hear Him saying in reply, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, My own will, My own impulse, My own desire, My own heart--that shall guide Me. What are laws, and what are governments, and what is anything compared with a sentient Being? I am law, and I will govern. In our preaching I think we fall just as much behind as we do in our personal experience and our theology. The influence of Divine love has not been the real central working power of the ministry. It is that which melts the heart, it is that which encourages hope, it is that which inspires courage, it is that which cleanses, that is needed. Fear does but very little. Fear may start a man on the road to conversion; but fear never converted a man. Truth does something. It shows the way, it opens a mans eyes; but simple truth, mere intellection, never converted a man. No mans heart ever grew rich, no mans heart ever had a God-touch in it, until he had learned to see God as one whom he loves. (H. W. Beecher.)

The supreme faith

The great special faith is that by which a soul, beholding Christ who is altogether lovely and loving, realizes it, or takes Him home to itself, and says, That is my God. He loves me. He gave Himself for me. This is the supreme act of faith, and this saves. It brings the mind into such a condition that it instantly is in communication with God. A young man stands in a telegraph office, and along the line of the wires is the passage of electricity; and he hears the dumb ticks of the instrument; but they mean nothing to him. He looks on, as a child would look on; but still these various ticks signify nothing to his ear. But by and by the operator draws out from under the needle-point a long strip of printed paper; and it is a message from the mans father, saying to him, Come home. Homesick he has been, and longing for permission to go. And oh! in one instant, in one flash, how that young mans feeling is changed! A moment ago, as he looked on that dumb wire, it was nothing to him; but now he sees it as the instrument whose ticks have written that message from his father, Come home. (H. W. Beecher.)

Belief in Gods love

I know very little about God. The sum of my knowledge is this: I do believe in the Divine Being. My soul says, Certainly there is a God; and it says that God is paternal; and that the Divine government is a family government, and not a magisterial nor monarchical government; and that it is a personal government, generated in love, carried out in love, and to be consummated in love; and that behind the blackness, the tear, the pang, the wrong and the sin, there is to be evolved in the eternal ages the triumph of love. For everybody? I cannot measure. All I know is this: if there be one soul that at last comes short of eternal life, it will be because that soul has stood up in the very tropical atmosphere of Divine love, and that love has poured itself upon that soul without obstruction, and it was absolutely immedicable and unhealable. Only those will be lost whom love could not save; and if you are lost, it will not be because you missed a narrow switch, and just did not come out right; nor because you run off the track by being moved one-tenth part of an inch in the wrong direction; nor because you made mistakes in your faith; nor because you were unfortunate; nor because you did not do this, that, or the other thing which the churches prescribe; nor because you did not believe this, that, or the other doctrine held by the churches. You will never be Gods castaway until rivers of infinite love have been poured on you. And then, if you are not changed, ought you not to be a castaway? What those steps are, or how they are to be taken, I know not. Only this I know: love is a fact; and the Divine administration of love is a truth; and the ages are Gods. And I have more faith in what; Love will think it best to do, than in what theologians think it is best to do; and I believe God will take this great sinning, sorrowing, blood-shedding world up into His arms, and comfort it as a mother comforts her sorrowing children. And I believe that sighing shall flee away, that God will wipe all tears from mens eyes, and that all the sorrows which have made the earth wretched in days gone by, He will, in His own way, and according to His own good pleasure, medicate; so that at last the universal Father, with the universal household, shall sit central in the universe, God over all, blessed and blessing for evermore. (H. W. Beecher.)

Holy inclination to Christ

We must give our understandings to know God, our wills to choose God, our imaginations to think upon God, our memories to remember God, our affections to fear, trust, love, and rejoice in God, our ears to hear Gods word, our tongues to speak Gods praise, our hands to work for God, and all our substance to the honour of God. As everything moves towards its proper centre, and is at no rest until it comes to that: so doth the sanctified soul incline and move to Christ, the true centre of the soul, and resteth not until it comes to Christ, and has the fruition of Christ. There is in a gracious soul such a principle of grace, such a communication of Christ, such a suitableness between the soul and Christ, such a fervent and operative love towards Christ, such a vehement longing after Christ, that it mightily moves to Christ as the rivers to the sea; that nothing but Christ can answer it, quiet and content it. There is in the soul such a blessed residence, such a powerful and gracious energy, and operation of the Spirit of Christ, that as the wheels in Ezekiels vision moved wheresoever the living creatures moved, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels: so the soul moves after Christ, because the Spirit of Christ is in the soul; this makes it pant after Christ, as the hart after the water-brooks; this makes it thirst for Christ, as the dry ground for waters; this makes it follow hard after Christ, as the child with cries and tears after the father going from it. The soul denies all, leaves all, passes through all, prostrates itself and all that it has under Christ, that it may enjoy Christ; it hates all that hinders its coming to Christ, and embraces all that may further its communion with Christ. (A. Gross, B. D.)

Care to see Christ living in us

As Christ lives in all Gods children, so let all that profess Christ, and call God Father, see and discern Christ living in them. This is the crown and comfort of a Christian--to have Christ living in him; and without this he has but the naked and empty name of a Christian, like an idol that has the name of a man, and is no man: a name that he lives, and yet is dead. Feel Christ, therefore, living in your understanding, by prizing the knowledge of Christ above all learning, by determining to know nothing in comparison of knowing Christ and Him crucified, by learning Christ as the truth is in Him, being filled-with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Feel Christ living in your will, in making your will free to choose and embrace Him and the things of God, to intend and will Him and the glory of God above everything, making His will the rule of your will, and fashioning and framing you to be a willing people in and about His work and service. Feel Him living in your imaginations, by thinking upon Him with more frequency and delight than of any other thing, by having more high, honourable, and sweet apprehensions of Christ, than of all the creatures. Feel Christ living in your affections, by being rooted in Christ by a lively faith, as a tree in the earth; by fearing Christ above all earthly powers, as the subject his sovereign, above all civil rulers; by loving Him, as the bride the bridegroom, above all other persons; by rejoicing in Him, as the rich man in his jewel, above all the residue of his substance. Feel Him living in your members, by circumcising and preparing your ears to hear with meekness and reverence, by returning to your tongues a pure language, that your speech may minister grace to the hearers, by restraining your eyes from beholding vanity, by disposing your hands to work that which is good, and by making your feet swift to every good duty. As you discern your soul living in your human body, moving all the members to human services, so discern Christ living in your bodily members, disposing and framing them to religious duties. Feel Christ living in all your services, as the chief worker of them, and enabler of you to do them, doing all in His name, by His assistance, and for His glory. Feel Christ living in the prayer which you make, praying by the Spirit of Christ, in the name of Christ, and for the honour of Christ. Feel Christ hying in the Word which you hear, making it an immortal seed to regenerate you, a sacred fire to purge you, a heavenly light to guide you, and a message of peace to comfort you. Feel Christ living in the sacrament which you receive, making it a celestial manna feeding you; a seal of righteousness, assuring you of your justification; an obligation binding you to new obedience; and a pledge of Gods unchangeable love towards you. All holy ordinances, if Christ live not in them, show not Himself powerful by them, are but an empty shell without kernel, and a dry breast without milk, ministering no nourishment. All the religious duties we perform, if Christ live not in them, are but a sacrifice without fire, a dead carcase, of no esteem with God. Our affections, if Christ live not in us, are a chariot without wheels; they sink and fall into the earth, they cannot incline nor move towards the Lord. All our best abilities, if Christ live not in them, are as standing waters without a living spring; they putrify, and rot, and prove unprofitable. If Christ live not in us, our understandings are blinded, and we cannot savingly know God; our will is enthralled, and we cannot intend God; our faith, like Jeroboams arm, is withered, and we cannot lay hold upon the promise of God. The whole sufficiency of a Christian is from Christs living in him. (A. Gross, B. D.)

The believers life

The Christian life is full of paradoxes. The crucified lives; and yet the life is peculiar. Not I, but Christ liveth in me.

I. The believers life is unlike what it used to be.

1. Once it was a weary captivity under sin.

(1) Then it was a wretched struggle against Satan.

(2) Then it was a wild complaint against self.

2. But the changed life grew out of the altered ideas.

(1) Christ loved me. That was the dawn of hope.

(2) Christ for me! That became the plea of faith.

(3) Christ gave Himself! That was found to be the secret and the stimulant of love.

II. The believers life is still human life.

1. It has the sorrows to which flesh is heir.

2. It has the temptations to which flesh exposes.

3. It has the duties which flesh entails.

III. The believers life is by faith of the son of God.

1. Faith in His prevailing advocacy at the Throne.

2. Faith in His abiding sympathy in the world.

3. Faith in His directing wisdom on the soul.

4. Faith in His sustaining help under the soul.

5. Faith in His certain return for soul and body.

But if such things are, then--

(1) Christian life must be conspicuous among other modes of living.

(a) It will be a devoted life.

(b) It will be an imitative life.

(c) It will be an appreciative life.

(d) It will be an expectant life.

(2) If this be Christian life, is it mine?

(i) There ought to be the memory of a break, with the world, into light and liberty,

(ii) There ought to be the consciousness of a union.

(a) The heart cleaving to Christ.

(b) The conscience grasping the pardon.

(c) The will choosing the service.

(d) The soul filled with the peace.

(iii) There will be acceptance of the conditions of the life.

(a) Willing to wait.

(b) Determined to testify.

(c) Prepared to follow.

(d) Meaning to triumph.

(e) Bound to love. (The Clergymans Magazine.)

To prove that faith is an excellent way of living

1. It is a singular way of living.

2. It is a substantial way of living; to live in faith is to live indeed.

3. It is a noble way of living.

4. It is a most sweet and comfortable way of living; joy and peace come in by believing.

5. It is a safe way of living; like a bird while he is in the air is safe from snares.

Use

1. To those that are yet strangers to this way of living by faith, pray to God to bring you acquainted with it. Many do live by sense, walking after their own hearts lusts.

2. To those that, acquainted with it, abound in it more and more. It is but a little while that we are to live by faith, then we come to vision and fruition, then we shall see Him in whom we have believed; faith and prayer shall be no more, and God shall be all in all to eternity. (Philip Henry.)

I live; yet not!: but Christ liveth in me

The broad leaf of the garden vegetable lifted sunward, is fed by the suns rays; the sun so grows into it and becomes pair of it, that the very sunlight could be chemically extracted from it in the form of carbon, and it would hardly be unscientific to say, It lives, yet not it, but the sun liveth in it. (Canon Wilberforce.)

Crucifixion with Christ and its results

I. The chief event and circumstance in Pauls history. I am (or have been) crucified with Christ. The apostles reflections upon the arguments already given, threw him back upon this as the starting-point in his religious experience. In the contemplation of this he knew what had led to the death of Christ, as far as that event was determined by human purpose. Christ had assailed the traditionalism of the Jews--had exposed their hypocrisy--had exalted the spiritual law above the ceremonial. These works of His, combined with His lofty and sublime claims as the Son of God, led the Jews to resolve upon His death. This was the truth on the human side. On the Divine side, according to the revelation made to St. Paul, Christ suffers for our sins--He was delivered for our offences. But He not only dies for sins--He died to sin: In that He died, He died unto sin once. The conflict with sin ended upon the cross. The risen Saviour knew no temptation. Now Paul, by a union of which he afterwards speaks, felt that in Christs death he also died. He has been planted--in the likeness of His death. Thus, so profound was his fellowship with Christ--so intimate was that bond that bound him to the Saviour--that in reference to the actual sufferings and death of the Redeemer, he could say: I am crucified with Christ. This was the permanent thought in Pauls mind. So in all Christian life of the same type. It has its origin in what the world regards with shame and contempt. Being dead with Christ is one of the first principles of His doctrine.

II. This crucifixion determined Pauls relation to the law, and originated and directed a new life. The 19th verse has an intimate and essential connection with the first clause in the 20th verse. Hence--

1. His relationship to the law. I through the law am dead to the law. The law, whether regarded in its highest moral character, or in its mere ceremonial requirements, had demanded of Paul that which he could never render. None had ever tried more sincerely, more arduously, than had Paul. But at the end of all there was the most apparent failure. The law viewed in the light of the Cross had shown him the futility of his efforts. The law became his schoolmaster to lead him to Christ, but from that moment he had parted company with it as the means of justification. The law by itself, whether moral or ceremonial, had no further attraction for him; and so complete wag the separation between him and it, that he could say, that being crucified with Christ he had died to the law. His most intimate acquaintance with the law had shown him that salvation could never be obtained through it. Through law he died to law.

2. This crucifixion was the beginning of a new life--Nevertheless I live. As the Saviours crucifixion was followed by His entrance into a new and higher life, so was it with Paul. He had been buried with Christ, but he had also been planted in the likeness of His resurrection. This life was Christ in him--Christ liveth in me.

3. Paul had, through crucifixion with Christ, received direction in this new life.

It was--

1. A life unto God (verse 19). Thus was it in the resurrection of the Saviour--In that He liveth, He liveth unto God. So with the believer. He has died unto law and sin, that he may live unto God. This is the end and aim of the Christian life--To know Thee, the only true God.

2. A life of faith. Faith in the Son of God. Not belief in a law merely, but in a Person, and that Person the Divine Redeemer.

3. A life in which love and selfsacrifice are ruling principles. Paul distinctly recognizes the character and work of the Saviour--Who loved me and gave Himself for me. These principles are reproduced in, and are continuous with, Christian life. The surrender of Christ produces in His people a similar devotion, and the love of Christ creates an undying affection.

4. A life in which there is no condemnation. This is the meaning of the last verse--I do not frustrate the grace of God, etc. I have not this condemnation, but the assurance that in me the death of Christ has accomplished its purpose. Those who seek righteousness by the law treat with disrespect the provision of God, for if they could obtain justification by obedience to law, then the death of Christ was unnecessary. But the Christian believer is in no such condemnation. He has received the grace of God, not that he may continue in sin, but be separated from it, not that he may defy God, but serve Him in holiness and righteousness. (R. Nicholls.)

The Christian crucified

I. What is it to be crucified with Christ? By this terrible crucifixion Christ became insensible to surrounding objects. He ceased to feel, hear, see, He died. Though the Christian is not thus literally crucified with Christ, he is so spiritually. Hence he becomes dead to the law, world, and to sin; dead to human pride, pleasures, and degraded passions. Though Christ was in the flesh, He did not live the life of the flesh. His visible crucifixion on Calvary was only a sign of the spiritual crucifixion within.

II. How is this crucifixion effected?

1. The power. The spirit of grace in the heart is the power that effects it.

2. The instrument. Faith is the hand that grasps the hammer, drives the nails, and deals a deadly blow to the old man.

3. The manner. This act of spiritual crucifying is most thoroughly effected. It is a complete work. The whole man is crucified; the will, understanding, affections, desires, delights. Every prayer, tear of repentance, tells upon it.

III. What is the natural result of this crucifixion with Christ?

1. Freedom from the law (Rom_7:1). There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.

2. Deliverance from sin.

3. Fitness for usefulness. It was by His death that Christ became the life of the world.

4. Possession of real happiness. Nothing is so destructive to our true happiness as the life of the flesh. (J. H. Hughes.)

Nevertheless, etc. Inward life is

I. Conscious--I live.

II. Distinguished from natural feeling--yet not I.

III. Enjoyed in Christ--Christ liveth in me.

IV. Controls the life in the flesh.

V. Is sustained by faith. (J. Lyth.)

Faith in Christ the source of life

The faith which is the life of the soul, is not mere belief of the existence of God, and of those great moral and religious truths which are the foundation of all religion. Nor does the faith of Christ, spoken of here, mean faith in that unseen world which Christ has revealed. Nor is the truth in question either exhausted or accurately stated by saying, the faith which has this life-giving power has the whole Word of God for its object. It is, indeed, admitted that faith has respect to the whole revelation of God. It receives all His doctrines, bows to all His commands, trembles at His threatenings, and rejoices at His promises. This, however, is not the faith by which the apostle lived; or, rather, it is not those acts of faith which have the truth of God in general for their object, which gives life to the soul. The doctrine of the text and of the whole New Testament is, that the soul is saved, that spiritual life is obtained, by those acts of faith which have Christ for their object. Other things in the Word of God we may not know, and, therefore, may not consciously believe, but Christ we must know. About other things true Christians may differ, but they must all agree as to what they believe concerning Christ. He is, in such a sense, the object of faith, that saving faith consists in receiving and resting on Him alone for salvation, as He is offered to us in the gospel, it consists in receiving Christ, i.e., in recognizing, acknowledging, accepting, and appropriating Him, as He is held forth to us in the Scripture. It includes, therefore, a resting on Him alone for salvation, i.e., for justification, sanctification, and eternal life (Rom_3:21-31; Php_3:1-14; 1Jn_5:1, etc.). The whole scheme of redemption is founded on this truth. Men are dead in trespasses and sin. They cannot be delivered from this state by any works or efforts of their own. Neither can they come to God without a Mediator. Christ is the only medium of access; therefore faith in Him is the indispensable condition of salvation.

I. We must believe that Christ is the Son of God. This includes His Divinity and Incarnation. The faith which has power to give life has the Incarnate God for its object. It contemplates and receives that historical person, Jesus Christ, who was born in Bethlehem, who lived in Judaea, who died on Calvary, as God manifest in the flesh.

1. Any other faith than this is unbelief. To believe in Christ, is to receive Him in His true character. But to regard Him who is truly God as a mere creature, is to deny, reject, and to despise Him. It is to refuse to recognize Him in the very character in which He is presented for our acceptance.

2. A Saviour less than Divine, is no Saviour. The blood of no mere man is an adequate atonement for the justification of sinners. The assurance of the gift of eternal life is mockery from any other lips than those of God. It is only because Jesus is the Lord of glory, the Son of God, God manifest in the flesh, that His blood cleanses from all sin, that His righteousness is infinite in value, sufficient to cover the greatest guilt, to hide the greatest deformity, and to secure even for the chief of sinners admission into heaven.

3. It must also be remembered that it is to the spiritually dead that God is declared to be the author of life. But no creature is life-giving. It is only He who has life in Himself that is able to give life unto others. It is because Christ is God; because all the fulness of the Godhead dwells in Him, that He is the source of spiritual life to us.

4. Spiritual life, moreover, supposes Divine perfection in the object on which its exercises terminate. It is called the life of God in the soul, not only because God is its source, but also because He is its object. The exercises in which that life consists, or by which it is manifested, must terminate on infinite excellence. The fear, the admiration, the gratitude, the love, the submission, the devotion, which belong to spiritual life, are raised to the height of religious affections only by the infinitude of their object.

II. We must believe that Christ loves us.

1. We must not exclude ourselves from the number of those who are the objects of Christs love. This is really to reject Him as our Saviour, while we admit He may be the Saviour of others. A very common form of unbelief; for unbelief it is, however it may assume the specious garb of humility. God loves His enemies--the ungodly, the polluted; and by loving makes them lovely. Alas! Did He not love us until we loved Him, we should perish in our sins.

2. We must appropriate to ourselves, personally and individually, the general assurance and promise of the love of Christ.

III. We must believe that Christ gave Himself for us, i.e., that He died for us. This again includes two things--

1. Faith in His vicarious death as an atonement for sin; and--

2. Faith in His death as a propitiation for our individual or personal sins.

Conclusion: If such be the doctrine of the text and of the Scriptures, it answers two most important questions.

1. It tells the anxious inquirer definitely what he must do to be saved. His simple duty is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God; that He loved us, and died for us; and that God for His sake is reconciled to us. Let him do this, and he will find peace, love, joy, wonder, gratitude, and devotion filling his heart and controlling his life.

2. It tells how the Divine life in the soul of the believer is to be sustained and invigorated. The clearer the views we can attain of the Divine glory of the Redeemer, the deeper our sense of His love, and the stronger our assurance that He gave Himself for us, the more of spiritual life shall we have; the more of love, reverence, and zeal; the more humility, peace, and joy; and the more strength to do and suffer in the cause of Christ. (Charles Hedge, D. D.)

Faith

True, justifying faith consists in three things.

1. Self-renunciation. Repentance and faith are both humbling graces; by repentance a man abhors himself; by faith he goes out of himself.

2. Recumbency. The soul casts itself upon Jesus Christ; faith rests on His person. The promise is but the cabinet, Christ is the jewel in it which faith embraceth. The promise is but the dish, Christ is the food in it which faith feeds on. And as faith rests on Christs person, so on His person under this notion, as He was crucified. Faith glories in the Cross of Christ. To consider Christ as He is crowned with all manner of excellences, doth rather stir up admiration and wonder; but Christ looked upon as bleeding and dying, is the proper object of our faith; therefore let it be called faith in His blood.

3. Appropriation, or the applying Christ to ourselves. A medicine, though it be ever so sovereign, yet if not applied to the wound, will do no good. The hand receiving of gold is enriched; so the hand of faith receiving Christs golden merits with salvation, enricheth us.

Wherein lies the preciousness of faith?

1. In its being the chief gospel grace, the head of the graces; as gold among the metals, so is faith among the graces. Love is the crowning grace in heaven, but faith is the conquering grace upon earth.

2. In its having influence upon all the graces, and setting them a-work, not a grace stirs till faith set it a-work. Did not faith feed the lamp with oil, it would soon die. Faith sets love a-work, faith which worketh by love; believing the mercy and merit of Christ causeth a flame of love to ascend. Faith sets patience a-work, be followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Faith believes the glorious rewards given to suffering. Thus faith is the master-wheel, it sets all the other graces a-running.

How does faith justify?

1. Faith doth not justify, as it is a work, that were to make a Christ of our faith; but faith justifies, as it lays hold of the object, viz., Christs merits. Faith doth not justify as it exerciseth grace. It cannot be denied, faith doth invigorate all the graces, it puts strength and liveliness into them, but it doth not justify under this notion. Faith works by love, but it doth not justify as it works by love, but as it applies Christs merits. Why should faith save and justify more than any other grace?

1. Because of Gods sanction. He hath appointed this grace to be justifying: and He doth it, because faith is a grace that takes a man off himself, and gives all the honour to Christ and free grace; strong in faith, giving glory to God. The kings stamp makes the coin pass for current; if he would put his stamp upon leather as well as silver, it would make it current; so God having put His sanction, the stamp of His authority end institution upon faith, this makes it to be justifying, and saving.

2. Because faith makes us one with Christ. It is the espousing, incorporating grace, it gives us coalition and union with Christs person: other graces make us like Christ, faith makes us members of Christ. Let us above all things labour for faith. Above all taking the shield of faith. Faith will be of more use to us than any grace: as an eye though dim, was of more use to an Israelite than all the other members of his body (not a strong arm, or a nimble foot), it was his eye looking on the brazen serpent that cured him. It is not knowledge, though angelical, not repentance, though we could shed rivers of tears, could justify us: only faith, whereby we look on Christ. Without faith it is impossible to please God; and if we do not please Him by believing, He will not please us in saving of us. Faith is the condition of the covenant of grace; without faith, without covenant: and without covenant, without hope. Let us try whether we have faith. There is something looks like faith, and is not: a Bristol-stone looks like a diamond. Some plants have the same leaf with others, but the herbalist can distinguish them by the root, and taste. Something may look like true faith, but it may be distinguished by the fruits. Well then, how shall we know it is a true faith?

By the noble effects:

1. Faith is a Christ-prizing grace, it puts a high valuation upon Him--to you that believe, He is precious.

2. Faith is a refining grace--the mystery of faith in a pure conscience. Faith is in the soul as fire among metals: it refines and purifies. Morality may wash the outside, faith washeth the inside--having purified their hearts by faith. Faith makes the heart a sacristy or holy of holies. Faith is a virgin-grace, though it doth not take away the life of sin, yet it takes away the love of sin. Examine if your hearts be an unclean fountain, sending out mud and dirt, pride, envy; if there be legions of lusts in thy soul, there is no faith. Faith is a heavenly plant which will not grow in an impure soil.

3. Faith is an obediential grace--the obedience of faith. Faith melts our will into Gods; faith runs at Gods call. Faith is not an idle grace; as it hath an eye to see Christ, so it hath a hand to work for Him. Faith doth not only believe Gods promise, but obeys His command. And the true obedience of faith is a cheerful obedience; Gods commands do not seem grievous.

4. Faith is an assimilating grace. It changeth the soul into the image of the object; it makes it like Christ. A deformed person may look on a beautiful object, but not be made beautiful; but faith looking on Christ transforms a man, and turns him into His similitude. Looking on a holy Christ causeth sanctity of heart; looking on an humble Christ makes the soul humble. As the camelion is changed into the colour of that which it looks upon; so faith looking on Christ changeth a Christian unto the similitude of Christ.

5. By the growth of it; if it be a true faith it grows; living things grow--from faith to faith. How may we judge of the growth of faith?

Growth of faith is judged--

1. By strength.

2.--By doing duties in a more spiritual manner, with fervency When an apple hath done growing in bigness, it grows in sweetness. But I fear I have no faith? We must distinguish between weakness of faith and nullity; a weak faith is true. A weak faith may be fruitful. Weakest things multiply most; the vine is a weak plant, but it is fruitful. Weak Christians may have strong affections. Weak faith may be growing. (T. Watson.)

The old life and the new

If you will take Jesus Christ, and plant Him in your hearts, everything will come out of that. That tree bears twelve manner of fruits, and yields his fruit every month. With Christ in your hearts all other fair things will be planted there; and with Him in your heart, all evil things which you may already have planted there, will be rooted out. Just as when some strong exotic is carried to some distant land and there takes root, it exterminates the feebler vegetation of the place to which it comes: so with Christ in my heart, the sins, the evil habits, the passions, the lusts, and all other foul spawn and offspring, will die and disappear. Take Him, then, dear friend, by simple faith, for your Saviour. He will plant the good seed in your spirit, and, instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)

Life by Christ alone

In the early summer of 1863 Archbishop Whately delivered his last charge, and soon after entered on the painful martyrdom that only terminated with his death. He felt as if red-hot gimlets were being put through his leg, and the pain steadily increased. The garden-chair; then the change from room to room; then the books that he read, had to be successively dropped. He felt his uselessness. Have you ever preached a sermon on the text, Thy will be done? he said to a friend one day; how did you explain it? When he replied, Just so, he said, that is the meaning; and added, in a voice choked with tears, but it is hard--very hard sometimes--to say it. Though he restrained every word of impatience while the agony he suffered brought streams of perspiration down his face, he would often pray during the night, O my God, grant me patience! If he was betrayed into a moments fretfulness he would immediately beg pardon. Some one remarked that his great mind was supporting him. No! he emphatically cried, it is not that which supports me. It is trust in Christ; the life I live is by Christ alone.

Believers are dead to the world

Plutarch saith of Themistocles, that he accounted it below his state to stoop to take up the spoils (though chains of gold) which the enemy had scattered in the way, but said to one of his followers, Thou mayest; for thou are not Themistocles. It is for worldly spirits, it is below the state of heaven-born spirits, to stoop to worldly things: worldlings may 1 they are not Themistocles, they are not saints. (Venning.)

The Christian indeed

I. Let us attentively observe the several characters here given us of true godliness, and see whether we have anything like them in ourselves. Says Paul: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. It has then a character of mystery, of wonder, or (shall I say?) paradox. How strange it is to see a bush burning with fire and unconsumed! How marvellous is it to find that the poor only are rich, the sick only are well, and that a broken heart is the greatest blessing we can possess! How surprising is it to hear persons saying, We are sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; having nothing, and yet possessing all things; as dying, and, behold, we live--to hear a man say, I am crucified, though he has the use of all his limbs--crucified with Christ, though. Christ had been crucified on Calvary long before--and to add, nevertheless I live--then with the same breath to check himself, and deny this--yet not I--and to crown the whole, Christ liveth in me, though he was then in heaven I What unintelligible jargon is all this to the carnal mind! It has a character of mortification--I am crucified with Christ. The grace of God has to pull up, as well as sow; to destroy, as well as build. It has a character of life--Nevertheless I live. And life brings evidence along with it. I am susceptible of spiritual joys and sorrows. I live, for I breathe prayer and praise; I live, for I feel the pulse of sacred passions; I live, for I have appetites, and do hunger and thirst after righteousness; I live, for I walk and I work; and though all my efforts betray weakness, they prove life--I live. A real Christian is not a picture--a picture may accurately resemble an original, but it wants life: it has eyes, but it sees not; lips, but it speaks mot. A Christian is not a figure: you may take materials and make up the figure of a man, and give it the various parts of the human body, and even make them move, by wires; but a Christian is not moved in religion by machinery, but life--nothing is forced and artificial. It has a character of humility--Yet not I. This is the unvarying strain of the apostle. Not by fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have our conversation in the world. By the grace of God I am what I am. Compare with this language the sentiments of the Pagan philosophers. Take one as a specimen of the rest. Cicero says, We are justly applauded for virtue, and in virtue we rightly glory; which would not be the case if we had virtue as the gift of God, and not from ourselves. Did any person ever give thanks to God that he was a good man? No, but we thank Him that we are rich, that we are honourable, that:ye are in health and safety. Now this argues not only the most dreadful pride, but the grossest ignorance, and it would be easy to prove that goodness is much less from ourselves than anything else. The material creation has not such degrees of dependence upon God as the animal; the animal world has not such degrees of dependence upon God as the rational; and rational beings have not such degrees of dependence upon God as pure and holy beings. Finally, it has a Christian character--But Christ liveth in me. This life is indeed formally in me: I am the subject of it, but not the agent. It is not self-derived, nor self-maintained; but it comes from Him, and is so perfectly sustained by Him, that it seems better to say, not I live, but Christ liveth in me. He has a sovereign empire of grace, founded in His death, and He quickens whom He will. He is our life--not only as He procures it by redemption, but also as He produces it by regeneration; and He liveth in us as the sun lives in the garden, by His influence calling forth fragrance and fruits; or as the soul lives in the body, actuating every limb, and penetrating every particle with feeling.

II. Let us consider the grand influencing principle of this religion--It is the faith of the Son of God. If you ask, says the Christian, how it is that I live so different from others, and so different from my former self, here is the secret. To explain this, it will be necessary to observe that the communication of grace from Christ, to maintain the Divine life, depends on union with Him, and that of this union faith is the medium. Let me make this plain. It is well known that the animal spirits and nervous juices are derived from the head to the body; but then it is only to that particular body which is united to it. And the same may be said of the vine: the vine conveys a prolific sap, but it is exclusively to its own branches. It matters not how near you place the branches to the stock; if they are not in it, they may as well be a thousand miles off: they cannot be enlivened or fructified by it. The branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine: no more can we except we abide in Him, for without Him we can do nothing. Now He is the head, and we are the members; He is the vine, we are the branches. And this union from which this influence flows is accomplished by faith only: He dwells in our hearts by faith. If faith be an eye, it is only by this we can see Him; if faith be a hand, it is only by this we can lay hold of Him.

III. This brings us to notice the confidence, the appropriation, which this religion allows. But I would intimate, first, that genuine religion always produces a concern for this appropriation. It will not suffer a man to rest in distant speculations and loose generalities, but will make him anxious to bring things home to himself, and to know how they affect him. I mean also to intimate, secondly, that a Christian may attain this confidence, and draw this conclusion. Thirdly, we would intimate that nothing can exceed the blessedness which results from such an appropriation of the Saviour in His love, and in His death. (W. Jay.)

The Divine life in the souls of men considered

St. Paul relates his own case in the text, in which you may observe these truths.

1. That believers are endowed with spiritual activity; or, that they are enabled to serve God, and perform good works. This is intimated by two expressions, I am crucified, and I live; which, though they seem contradictory, do really mean the same thing. I live signifies spiritual activity; a vigorous, persevering serving of God; a living unto God (as it is explained verse 19, and Rom_6:11). Such a principle or power is very significantly called life, to denote its intimacy in the soul, its vivacity, and permanency.

2. We may observe that the vital principle of holiness in believers, whereby they are enabled to serve God, is communicated to them through Christ only as a Mediator. This is also asserted in the emphatical epanorthosis, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; that is, spiritual life is formally in me, but it is not self-originated; it does not result from my natural principles (which are so essential to me, that I may represent them under the personal pronoun I), but was first implanted, and is still supported and cherished, by the power and grace of God through Christ; and it is in every respect so dependent upon Him, and His influence is so intimately diffused through my soul, that I may say, Christ liveth in me. A like expression is used in Col_3:3-4. Christ is our life.

3. We may take notice that believers receive supplies from Christ for the maintenance and nourishment of their spiritual life. The life which I now live (or, as it might be rendered more significantly, what I now live) in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. Nothing can be more profitable, nothing more necessary, than right notions about spiritual life.

I. Wherein spiritual life consists.

II. When it is communicated.

III. Whether it be instantaneously communicated, or gradually acquired by repeated acts.

IV. Who are the subjects of it, or in what extent is it communicated.

V. In what sense is it communicated and supported through Christ?

VI. How faith derives supplies from Him for its support and nourishment.

I. Wherein does spiritual life consist? This inquiry, though necessary both to inform your minds and to repel the charge of unintelligibleness, so frequently alleged against this doctrine, yet is exceeding difficult, both because of the mysteriousness of the thing in itself, and because of the blindness of the-minds of those that are not endowed with it. It is mysterious in itself, as every kind of life is. The effects and many of the properties of animal life are plain, but what animal life is in itself is an inquiry too sublime for the most philosophic and soaring mind. Now spiritual life still approaches nearer to the life of the Divine Being, that boundless ocean of incomprehensible mysteries, and consequently exceeds our capacity more than any other. But besides, such is the blindness of unregenerate souls, that they cannot receive or know the things of the Spirit of God (1Co_2:14), and therefore what is knowable by enlightened minds concerning spiritual life, cannot be apprehended with suitable clearness by them.

1. It supposes a living spiritual principle. There can be no life, no vital actions, without a vital principle, from whence they flow; e.g., there can be no animal life, no animal sensations and motions, without a principle of animal life. Now spiritual life must suppose a principle of holiness. A principle of life of any kind will not suffice; it must be particularly and formally a holy principle; for life and all its operations will be of the same kind with the principle from which they proceed. Now a holy principle is something distinct from and superadded to the mere natural principle of reason. To illustrate this matter, let us suppose a man deprived of the faculty of memory, and yet to continue rational (as he might in a low degree); according to this supposition, he will be always incapable of an act of memory, however strong his powers of perception, volition, etc., may be, till the power of exercising his reason in that particular way which is called remembering be conferred upon him. So let a sinners mere natural powers be ever so much refined and polished, yet, if there be no principle of spiritual life distinct from them infused, he will be everlastingly incapable of living religion. This gracious principle is called the seed of God (1Jn_3:9), to intimate, that as the seed of vegetables is the first principle of the plant, and of its vegetative life, so is this of spiritual life, and all its vital acts.

2. Spiritual life implies a disposition to a holy operation, an inward propensity, a spontaneous inclination towards holiness, a willing that which is good (Rom_7:18). Every kind of life has some peculiar innate tendencies, sympathies, and antipathies: so animal life implies a natural inclination to food, to move at proper seasons, etc. There is a savour, a relish for Divine things, as essential to spiritual life as our natural gusts and relishes are to natural life. Hence gracious desires are often signified in Scripture under the metaphors of hungering and thirsting; and to this St. Peter expressly alludes, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby (1Pe_2:2). By virtue of this disposition, believers set their affections on things above (Col_3:2); they relish, they savour, they affect things above.

3. Spiritual life implies a power of holy operation. A heavenly vigour, a Divine activity animates the whole soul. It implies more than an inefficacious disposition, a dull, lazy velleity, productive of nothing but languid wishes. So every kind of life implies a power of operation suitable to its nature. Animal life (e.g.)

has not only an innate propensity, but also a natural power to move, to receive and digest food, etc. They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength (Isa_40:31); that is, they have strength given them; renewed and increased by repeated acts, in the progress of sanctification. They are strengthened with might, by the Spirit in the inner man (Eph_3:16). I do not mean that spiritual life is always sensible and equally vigorous ; alas! it is subject to many languishments and indispositions; but I mean there is habitually in a spiritual man a power, an ability for serving God which, when all pre-requisites concur, and hindrances are removed, is capable of putting forth acts of holiness, and which does actually exert itself frequently. Again, I do not mean an independent power, which is so self-active as to need no quickening energy from the Divine Spirit to bring it into act, but a power capable of acting under the animating influences of grace, which, as to their reality, are common to all believers, though they are communicated in different degrees to different persons. Before we lose sight of this head, let us improve it to these purposes: Let us improve it as a caution against this common mistake, viz., that our mere natural powers, under the common aids of Divine grace, polished and refined by the institutions of the gospel, are a sufficient principle of holiness, without the addition of any new principle. You see a principle of spiritual life is supernatural; it is a Divine, heaven-born thing; it is the seed of God; a plant planted by our heavenly Father. But, alas I how many content themselves with a self-begotten holiness! Let us also improve what has been said, to remove another equally common and pernicious error, namely, that gospel-holiness consists merely in a series of acts materially good. Some imagine that all the actions they do, which are materially lawful, and a part of religion, have just so much of holiness in them; and as they multiply such actions, their sanctification increases in their imagination. But, alas! do they not know that a principle, a disposition, a power of holy acting, must precede and be the source of all holy acts? That a new heart must be given us, and a new spirit put within us, before we can walk in Gods statutes and keep His judgments, and do them? (Eze_36:26-27.) Further, let us improve our account of spiritual life, to inform us of a very considerable difference between a mere moral and spiritual life; or evangelical holiness and morality. Spiritual life is of a Divine original; evangelical holiness flows from a supernatural principle; but mere morality is natural; it is but the refinement of our natural principles, under the aids of common grace, in the use of proper means; and consequently it is obtainable by unregenerate men. Again, we may improve what has been said to convince us that a life of formality, listlessness, and inactivity is far from being a spiritual life. We proceed to inquire--

II. When spiritual life is communicated? To this the Scriptures direct us to answer, that it is communicated in that change which is generally called regeneration, or effectual calling.

1. If spiritual life were communicated in creation, there would be no propriety or significancy in the expressions used to denote the communication of it. There would be no need of a new, a second birth, if we were spiritually alive by virtue of our first birth.

III. Whether spiritual life be instantaneously communicated? Or whether (as some allege) it be gradually acquired by repeated acts?

1. It is a contradiction that it should be originally acquired by acting, or a series of acts; for that supposes that it exists, and does not exist, at the same time: as it acts, it exists; and as it is acquired by acting, it does not exist. It will perhaps be objected, That it may be acquired by the repeated acts of another kind of life, namely, rational; or the exercises of our rational powers about spiritual objects. But this may be answered from what was observed under the first head, namely, that a principle of spiritual life is something distinct from and superadded to our natural powers. Principles of action may be confirmed and rendered more prompt to act by frequent exercise; but can never be originally obtained that way.

2. The terms whereby the communication of spiritual life is signified as begetting, creating, quickening, or raising the dead, etc., denote an instantaneous communication.

3. Spiritual life is represented as prior to, and the source and principle of, all acts of evangelical holiness; and consequently it cannot be gradually acquired by such acts, but must be implanted previously to the putting forth of any such acts; as reason is not acquired by reasoning, but is a pre-requisite and principle of all the acts of reason. We are created in Christ Jesus to make us capable of good works (Eph_2:10). Hence we may see the vanity of that religion which is gained in the same manner that a man learns a trade, or an uncultivated mind becomes knowing and learned, namely, by the repeated exercises of our natural powers in use of proper means, and under the aids of common providence. We have seen that a principle of spiritual life is not a good act, nor a series of good acts, nor anything acquirable by them, but the spring and origin of all good acts. Let us then, my brethren, try whether our religion will stand this test. Hence also we may learn a considerable difference between what is commonly called morality and gospel-holiness. The one is obtained, as other acquired habits are, by frequent and continued exercises; the other proceeds from a principle divinely implanted.

IV. Our inquiry is, Who are the subjects of spiritual life? or in what extent is it communicated?

V. Our next inquiry is, In what sense is spiritual life communicated and supported through Christ? To explain and illustrate this point, let these three things be considered.

1. That by the sin of our first parents and representatives, our principle of spiritual life was forfeited, and the forfeiture is continued, and spiritual death brought on us by our personal sin.

2. The Lord Jesus, by His sufferings, made a complete satisfaction to Divine justice, and thereby redeemed the blessing forfeited; and by the merit of His obedience purchased Divine influence for the extirpation of the principles of spiritual death which lurk in our natures, and the implantation of holiness. Hence the regeneration and sanctification, as well as the salvation of His people, are ascribed to His merits and death. We are sanctified through the offering up of the body of Christ (Heb_10:10).

3. Christ, the Purchaser, is appointed also the Communicator of spiritual life to His people. The Son quickeneth whom He will (Joh_5:21).

VI. How faith derives supplies from Christ for the support and nourishment of spiritual life? I shall proceed to the solution of this by the following gradation.

1. The communication of grace from Christ to maintain and nourish spiritual life in His people is a peculiar and distinguishing communication.

2. It is fit and necessary there should be a peculiar union between Christ and His people as the foundation of this peculiar influence.

3. It is fit that that grace which has a peculiar concurrence or instrumentality in the uniting of the soul to Christ, and in continuing of that union, should also have a peculiar concurrence or instrumentality in deriving supplies of spiritual strength from Him; for since union is the true special ground of the communication, it is fit that that which is the peculiar instrument of this union should also be the peculiar instrument of receiving, or vehicle of communicating vital influences.

4. Faith has a peculiar concurrence or instrumentality in the first union of the soul to Christ, and the consequent continuation of the union. It is the grand ligament whereby they are indissolubly conjoined. It is true the spiritual man, as well as our animal bodies, consists of several essential parts. Repentance, love, and the whole system of evangelical graces and moral virtues are as necessary, in their proper respective places, as faith. But then faith has a peculiar aptitude, above all other graces and virtues, for performing the part we now appropriate to it. So heart, lungs, bowels, etc., are essential to the human body, as well as nerves and arteries; but the nerves are the peculiar vehicles to carry the vital spirits from the brain; and the arteries are the only conveyancers of the blood from the heart, through many labyrinths, to the whole body. Faith, in a special manner, implies those things in its very nature which reason directs us to look upon as suitable pre-requisites or concomitants of deriving vital influence from Christ. For instance, it is fit that all that receive spiritual life as a blessing of the covenant of grace should submit to and acquiesce in the terms of the covenant. Now such a submission and acquiescence is faith. For the particular improvement of this head, I shall make these three remarks--

(1) That a saving faith is always operative; and what renders it so is its constant dependence on Christ for quickening grace. It is designed by God, and has a peculiar aptitude in its own nature to derive strength for all acts of holiness from Christ; and He will not deny any of the influences it naturally craves. So far is a dependence on Him from leading to sloth and libertinism as some slanderously surmise.

(2) We infer that without faith it is impossible to please God.

(3) We observe that gospel holiness may be distinguished from all counterfeits, and particularly from what some dignify with the name of morality, by this criterion, that it pre-supposes a special union with Christ, and is cherished in the heart, and exercised in practice, by virtue of the quickening influences flowing from Him, as the head of His Church, and received by faith; whereas mere morality does not necessarily suppose such a union, but may result from our natural powers, under the common influences of Divine Providence.

I shall conclude with a short general improvement of the whole subject in the following inferences--

1. That the reason why religion is so burdensome to many is because they are destitute of a principle of spiritual life, and the quickening communications of Divine grace. Constrained by self-love, they drudge and toil in religious duties, and cry, What a weariness is it!

2. Let us examine ourselves whether the evidence of spiritual life, which may be collected from what has been said, give us reason to conclude that we are possessed of it. Do we feel, or have we felt, a supernatural principle working within? Is our religion heaven-born? or is it natural and self-sprung? Do we derive our strength for obedience from Christ by faith? Is He our life? Are we generally crying, Lord, we have no strength; but our eyes are unto Thee?

3. Let those who are made spiritually alive acknowledge and admire the distinguishing grace of God, and act as it becomes their character. (President Davies.)

The life of faith

In the words we may consider divers things.

1. That there is another manner of life than the ordinary life of nature.

2. That it is a better and more excellent life than that he formerly lived; as if he had said, Now, since I have seen the misery of my former natural estate, and the excellency of a spiritual life by faith in the Son of God, I esteem my former life to have been wretched, not worthy of the name of life, compared with that which I live now, as being founded in a better root than the first Adam;

3. The spring of this life is the Son of God. God is life naturally, and we have life no otherwise than from Him who quickeneth all things.

4. The conveyance of this spiritual life is by faith. Water springs not without a conduit to marry and spread it. The sun warms not without beams, and the liver conveys not blood without veins. So faith is that vessel which conveys this spiritual life, that conduit wherein all spiritual graces run, for the framing and working of spiritual life, conveying all, to pitch upon those excellencies of the Son of God.

5. The object and root of this spiritual life is, faith in the Son of God, loving Him, and giving himself for Him. So there is a life besides the natural life, and the root of it is Christ, who is our life. Life is the best thing in the world, most esteemed of us; as the devil said concerning Job (Job_2:4). Life is the foundation of all comforts; life is the vigour proceeding from soul and body. So the spiritual life is nothing else but that excellent vigour, and strong connected strength of the soul ann body renewed, grounded on supernatural reasons, which makes it follow the directions of the Word, over-master the flesh, and so by degrees be transformed into the image of Christ, consisting in holiness-and righteousness. The first point then is, that there is a better life than a natural life, because there is somewhat in a man which aspires and looks to a better estate. That there must be a better life, which is this spiritual life; for this life which we live in the flesh is a thing of nothing. Our little life we live here, wherefore is it? To live a while, to eat and drink and enjoy our pleasures, and then fall down and die like a beast? Oh no, but to make a beginning for a better life. If this life be such a blessing, what is then that most excellent spiritual life we speak of? It holds out beyond all. By this spiritual life, when one is most sick, you shall see him most lively and spiritual. When sense, and spirit, and sight, and all fail, yet by reasons drawn from spiritual life he comforts himself in Christ, the glory to come, and what He hath done for him. When the body is weakest, the spirit is strongest. A Christian furnished with this spiritual life can see Christ and glory, beyond all the things of this life; he can look backwards, make use of all things past, see the vanity of things so admired of others; he can taste things nature doth not relish; he hath strength of reasons beyond all the apprehensions of reason; he is a man of a strong working. Therefore, unless we will be dead creatures, labour we must for a spiritual life, for there is another death which follows the first death. We consider not here of life so high, though this life must be derived from Him principally. It is so naturally. The Son is the fountain of life, because He is God, who is radically, fundamentally, and essentially life. But why is faith the grace to convey life to us?

(1) Because we are saved now out of ourselves by another. Therefore that grace which brings us to this great good must lead us out of ourselves.

(2) Because faith gives all the glory to the party on whom it relies on and trusts, as Rom_3:26. Paul shows why works were excluded. Faith acknowledgeth nothing to be at home; therefore it goes to another to fetch it, which else it would not do.

(3) Because we must be brought back again to God by a contrary way than that we were lost by; for the same way we could never have recovered. So we fell by infidelity, and must return again by faith in the righteousness of another. By this time we are come to the main thing intended, how we live by the faith of the Son of God.

1. We live the life of faith in our effectual calling. The Spirit works it, the Spirit is Gods hand. This makes, that our eyes are bent upwards to see a better life, to see a calling, to live holily and righteously in all things, to see what a rich means is provided to reconcile God and man, to satisfy justice, and so to draw us in a new way and course of life, to rely on God, and look unto Him in all our actions. Then the grace of union is given. Gods Spirit works our hearts by this faith, to have first union, and then communion with God.

2. We live the life of faith in justification. This is a life of sentence that the soul lives by, peace being spoken unto it by the pardon of sin; for God by His Spirit doth report so much to the soul, giving us assurance that Christ our Surety and Peace-maker is raised up again. This is it to live by faith; every day to sue out our pardon; to look unto our Advocate and Surety, who hath paid our debts, and cancelled that obligation against us, contrary to us, as the apostle speaks, daily to wash in that ever-running fountain. Now let us see how it may be known that we live the life of faith in justification.

Trial 1. By trying how it comes in the soul; as Rom_7:4.

Trial 2. Where this life of faith is, there is a wonderful high valuing and prizing of Christ, His righteousness, merits, obedience, and wisdom of God in that way of forgiveness of our sins by this God-man, the wonderful mediator; as Php_3:8.

Trial 3. When we have a zeal against all contrary doctrine, as St. Paul shows to the Galatians, who would have joined works to faith: Christ is become of none effect unto you: whosoever of you are justified by the law, you are fallen from grace (Gal_5:4).

Trial 4. There is peace and joy settled in the heart; as Rom_5:1-2.

3. Hence springs a vigorous life. A life of cheerfulness; when a man hath his pardon sued out, then comes life and joy, strength of holy actions well rooted and grounded. Who should joy, if a triumphant righteous person should not?

4. The life of faith in sanctification. Now being brought by faith to live in justification, we must of necessity also live by faith in sanctification. There be two parts of a holy life:

(1) In mortification, dying to sin;

(2) In vivification, living to righteousness. Yet further, let us see some trials to discern whether we live this life of faith in sanctification.

Trial 1. If it be thus with us, there will be a putting of ourselves upon Christs government in all duties. Faith will do all that Christ commands, depending upon Him for strength; and who so depends upon Christ for strength in one duty, will depend upon Him for strength in another. There is a harmony betwixt the soul of a Christian and the command of obedience. He hearkens to the precepts of duty, as well as to the promises of forgiveness of sins. Where this universal obedience is not, here is not the life of faith in sanctification; for faith here takes not exception at one duty more than another, but looks for all the strength of performance from Christ, who for this cause is stored with all fulness, that it may drop down upon all His members.

Trial 2. Again, there will be a wonderful care not to grieve the Spirit, in such a one.

Trial 3. There will be courage to set upon any duty, to encounter and resist any sin; upon this ground, as he should say, have not I a storehouse of strength to go to? Is not He full of grace and goodness?

Trial 4. Again, in this case, all is lively in a man. As we see a lively fountain, the water whereof will sparkle and leap, so there will be living joys, speeches, delights, exhortations, sensible of good and evil. Let the use of all be this, Upon this discovery remember to go to Christ for succour, and labour to live plentifully and abundantly in Him this life of faith. Two things are opposite to this life of faith.

(1) Despair.

(2) Presumption; for this know, that in his own strength shall no man be strong. (R. Sibbes.)

The life of faith

In the last sermon we propounded many things touching the life of faith, how it lives in effectual calling, in justification and sanctification, in glorification, and in the several grand passages of this life, one of which remains yet to be unfolded, as the life of faith in glorification.

Quest. 1. But how? Vision is for glory; what hath faith to do with this, which is of things unseen?

Ans. 1. I answer, we live by faith in glorification thus, because faith lays hold on the promise, and we have the promises of glory set down in the Word, and with the promise we have the firstfruits of the Spirit, and having the earnest and first-fruits, God will surely give the harvest. We have the Spirit, and thence faith reasons, God will make good His promise, He will not take back His earnest.

Ans. 2. Again, faith lives by the life of glorification in Christ the head. There is but one life of Christ and His members, and one Spirit, one with Him in union in the first degree of life. His glory is our glory.

Ans. 3. By reason of the nature of faith, as Heb_11:1, which is to make things absent have a certain being. Thus it presents glory to us, as though it were present, and we in some sort live by it. How to know whether or not we live the life of faith in glorification. This, where it is in faith, makes a Christian glorious, puts him in a spirit that is glorious in all estates. There is no grace in him, but it is set a-fire by this faith of glory to come. When faith looks back on things, it hath strength, but when it looks on glory, all graces anal virtues are set a-work.

1. Hope is set on work by faith, and keeps the soul, as an anchor, stedfast against all assaults.

2. Hope doth stir up patience; for, saith the apostle, What we hope for, we wait patiently for it.

3. Again, it sets courage and magnanimity a-work, as Heb_11:1-40. What made all the patriarchs so stout to hold out and endure so many miseries, but that they had an eye to the glory to come? The like we have of Moses, who forsook Pharaohs court, because he saw Him who is invisible. (R. Sibbes.)

Salvation applied

Now, to come to the apostles particular application, which he expresseth m this word me: Who loved me, and gave Himself for me: wherein these points offer themselves to our consideration:

1. That Christ loves some with a special, superabundant, and peculiar love; for Christ, when He suffered upon the cross, looked with a particular eye of His love upon all that should believe in Him; as now in heaven He hath carried our names upon His breast (Exo_28:21; Exo_28:30). The Father sees the Church in the heart and breast of Christ.

2. That true faith doth answer this particular love and gift of Christ, by applying it to itself. True faith is an applying faith. He loved me, and gave Himself for me. The nature of faith is to make generals become particulars. We must know more clearly, that there is a particular faith required of us. A Christian ought to say, Christ loved me. And for the sacraments, what kind of faith doth baptism seal, when water is sprinkled upon the child? Doth it seal a general washing away of guilt? No; but a particular washing away of the guilt and filth of the sins of the party baptized. Wherefore are the sacraments added to the Word, but to strengthen faith in particular? Therefore every one in particular is sprinkled, to show the particular washing of our souls by the blood of Christ. What is the reason that the sacrament of the Lords Supper is added to the Word, hut that every one may be persuaded that it is his duty to cast himself upon Christ, and to eat Christ, and to believe his own particular salvation? It overthroweth the main end of the sacraments to hold a confused faith in general. Therefore seeing it is the main end of the Word and ministry, let us labour for this particular faith, that we may say in special, Christ loved me, and gave Himself for me.

3. That assurance doth spring from this particular faith; so that a Christian man may be assured of the love of Christ. But here divers questions and cases must be answered and explained to clear the point, else our speech shall not be answerable to the experience of Gods people, or the truth itself. First, we must know that there is a double act of faith in the believing soul.

(1) An act of faith, trusting and relying; and

(2) an act of assurance upon that act of relying.

For it is one thing to believe and cast myself upon Christ for pardon of sins, and another thing upon that act to feel assurance and pardon. The one looks to the Word more principally; the other is founded upon experience, together with the Word. We ought to labour for both, for affiance and consent in the will, to cast ourselves upon Christ for salvation; and then upon believing we ought to find and feel this assurance. But here a question must be asked, What is the reason that, where the first act of faith is, to cast itself upon the mercy of Christ in the promises, that yet there is not the sense of pardon and reconciliation, nor that full persuasion: why is this many times suspended? Ans.

1. I answer, many causes there be of it. To name some:

(1) First, in some the distemper of the body helps the distemper of the soul; I mean a melancholy temper, which is a constitution subject to distrust, fears, and temptations. As some tempers, that are of a bold spirit, are subject to presumption, the devil suiting himself to their temper; so where there is this melancholy abounding, which is prone to fear and distrust, the devil mingling his suggestions with their constitution, causes that those tempers are inclined to fear, where there is no cause of fear.

(2) And also it is, many times, from a judgment not rightly persuaded: as when they think they have no faith, because they have it not in so great a measure.

(3) Also, they are held perhaps without this persuasion and assurance of the pardon of their sin, because perhaps they are taken up with other cares. God vouchsafes not this sweet heaven upon earth, the sense of His love in Christ to any, but it is sought for long, and valued highly, that afterwards we may be thankful for it.

(4) Again, Perhaps they are negligent in holy communion with those that are better than themselves; casting themselves into dead and dark company that want life, who bring them into the same temper with themselves. Now I come to the fourth and last point, indeed the chief of all, that this particular faith in obedience to Christ, with assurance of His particular love, is that which carries us along all our life of faith unto the day of death. I live, saith he, this life of faith in the Son of God. Why, what makes him to do so? Oh, I have good cause to love Christ and to depend upon Him. Why? He hath loved me, and given Himself for me; and I feel so much to my souls comfort, therefore I will wholly depend upon Him, in life, in death, and for ever.

Use 1. Now for the uses of this, seeing that the persuasion of Christs love to us in special is the spring of all holy life, this serves, in the first place, to free this doctrine of assurance from scandal. Assurance then is not the ground of presumption or security. These spring not from a particular faith; for a holy life, the clean contrary, springs from it. None can live a holy life but by a particular faith; and whosoever in particular doth believe the forgiveness of his own sins, will live a holy life, and not put himself into former bondage.

Use 2. To make another use: if particular faith and assurance be the ground of a holy life, let us labour for it by all means; and let those that are in the state of grace, let them come to this fire if they will be kindled: if they find themselves dull to holy duties, let them come to this fire.

1. Then thou hast a care to live by faith in the Son of God daily, and in all estates and conditions; and where this faith and assurance is, it is with care and conscience of duty always. Herein it is distinguished from a false conceit. Where there is no conscience of duty, there is no assurance of particular faith. This particular hath its ground from the general, from the Word of God.

2. Again, this is with conflict. You may know particular application where it is, to be good, because it is with conflict against temptations. A man never enjoys his own assurance of Christs particular love, But with a great deal of conflict. There are two grounds that faith lays:

(1) That general truth, that whosoever casts himself upon Christ shall be saved.

(2) The particular application hereof--but I cast myself upon Christ, therefore I shall he saved. This particular application, which is the work of faith, is mightily assaulted, more than the general. The devil is content that a man should believe the former, but he troubles us in the application, But I believe. The devil labours by all means to hinder application, for he knows that particular faith brings Christ home, which is all in all. But false Christians go on in a smooth course, are not thus assaulted from day to day.

3. Again, a man may know his faith to be true by his willingness to search himself, and to be searched by others. He that hath a true, sound faith, and particular assurance from thence, is willing oftentimes to search his heart.

4. Again, this particular faith it is with a high prizing and admiration of the love of God in Christ, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. It is a sign that he hath no interest in this love, that prizes and values other things above it. If one had any assurance of this, he would value it above all other things in the world. (R. Sibbes.)

The electing of love

Here we have to consider Christs own personal undertaking.

I. Speaking generally, then, and following the guidance of our text, love was the principle which caused that offering of Himself: that is to say, it was the cause of His Incarnation. And I think, my brethren, it must be quite intelligible to us that love could be the only possible reason for such a sacrifice on the part of the Son of God. We in our little world can hardly appreciate what love means in its true sense; much less the meaning of the sacrifice which springs from such a love. For in making sacrifices one of three principles must be the ruling motive; it must either be that of self-interest, or it must be dictated by a keen sense of duty, or it must be the outcome of a disinterested affection: and, rarely as we find instances of the last of these among mankind, there are instances of the two former to be met with ever and over again. But when we come to try our Lords conduct by any of these; when we try His self-imposed humiliation by our own standard of sacrifice; motives of self-interest no less than those of duty, are necessarily put out of court as being totally inapplicable to Him, and love is forced upon us as the only possible solution of His work of redemption.

II. Now it is this very self-evident fact which leads us to speak, first of all, of the greatness of the love of our blessed Lord. The Son of God loved me, and gave Himself for me. Let us see at the outset the obstacles it was called upon to surmount from its very entrance into the world. And was there nothing to repel our blessed Lord when the vision of all that must come upon Him passed before His eyes, as he lay in the bosom of the eternal Father? The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men: to see if there were any that would understand and seek after God. But they are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become abominable: there is also none that doeth good, no not one. And yet the love of Jesus broke through this opposing barrier also. Consider now that perseverance and devotion of His which proved so wonderfully superior to these obstacles. (R. H. Giles, M. A.)

Spiritual life

This spiritual life of the believer may be explained in a twofold manner. It may be explained as--

I. A life of faith. See--

1. Faiths exercise. Without faith there is no real religion in the soul. The men of the world know practically what faith is. They have faith in their everyday transactions. They give credit to each others word; and conduct their business on the supposition that each man will speak truth to, and not deceive, his neighbour. The husbandman, in faith, throws away his corn, and scatters it over the ground. The man of unbelief would say--That corn is lost; that seed will die, and come to nothing. But the husbandman has faith--faith gathered from past experience--that that corn-seed will not be lest; that, on the contrary, it will spring up, and become first the blade, then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear; and that he will in due season reap, it may be, sixty or one-hundred-fold, for that which he has sown. So is it in spiritual things. The children of God live by faith. All your dealings, brethren, with God, are carried on by the exercise of this blessed principle. You deal with God as one who cannot lie. You take Him at His word. For now observe, not only faiths exercise, but also--

2. Faiths object. To a saved sinner, what is the great object of faith? Is it not the Divine Saviour? The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. There are some men who call themselves Christians, but in their Christianity there is no Christ. Ignoring the very existence of Christianity, they think that Lyceums, Athenaeums, Institutes, and similar instrumentalities, are to regenerate our country. Everything which stops short of Christ must prove a failure. Some men put great faith in mere education. Other men err in another direction. They put their faith in preachers, instead of in Christ. They forget that the only use of preaching is to point to Christ. And how is your faith exercised towards Christ 7 It is exercised towards Christ as a crucified Saviour. It is exercised towards Christ as your atoning Priest, as your all sufficient Surety, as your almighty Redeemer. But then you cannot view such a sacrifice for your good without the deepest feeling. And, therefore, the present life is not only a life of faith; it is also--

II. A life of gratitude. It is a life of gratitude to Christ for--

1. His unmerited love. My dear brethren, there is no motive to obedience so powerful as the motive of love--Who loved me. And how has this love been shown? In the most costly manner it can. And this is our next point. The believers present life is a life of gratitude to Christ for--

2. His precious redemption--Who gave Himself for me. This.is the strongest possible proof which Christ could have given of His wondrous affection. Greater love, He Himself tells us, hath no man than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends. I now add two other remarks, by way of application.

We see hence--

1. The blessed prospects of the Christian believer.

2. The true nature of spiritual life.

I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me? The sun in the heavens gives light, it is supposed, at least to nine hundred millions of people. But you and I have as much enjoyment of that sun as though it had been placed in the firmament for our use alone. So is it with Christ. Christ died for all; but we should see that Christ died for us in particular, and we should look to Christ as dying for ourselves, as though He died for us, and for no one else. These words, however, are not mine, but the words of a Christian prelate. You have life, spiritual life, the secret life of faith. This is well described by Bishop Reynolds--It is a hidden life. The best of it is yet unseen: Though the cabinet which is seen be rich, yet the jewel which it conceals is much richer. This life is hidden with Christ, and so hidden that we know not where it is. It is so hidden, that no enemy can touch it. It is hidden in God. If is life in the fountain. And this is such a fountain of life as hath in it fulness without satiety, purity without defilement, perpetuity without decay, and all-sufficiency Without defect. This life is hidden, but it is not lost. It is hidden like seed in the ground. And when Christ the Sun of righteousness shall appear, this life of ours in Him will spring up and appear glorious. This life, this hidden life, brethren, I trust, is the portion of the greater part of this assembly--a life of joy on earth, and a life of joy and glory unutterable in the heavens. (C. Clayton, M. A.)

The spiritual death and life of the believer

In discoursing on this subject, I shall direct your attention to the leading thoughts; and therefore I shall endeavour to show, Firstly, What is implied in being crucified with Christ. Secondly, What we are to understand by Christ living in the believer; and point out the great influence of faith in the Divine life. Or, in fewer words, show--how the believer dies, and how he lives.

I. Expressions similar to this, of being crucified with Christ, are more than once used in the writings of the apostle. No one will be so weak as to imagine that Paul was a sharer with Christ in the merit of His sufferings. Such a thought would be horrid and blasphemous. There is implied in being crucified with Christ--First, a refusing obedience to the ceremonial law, as being no longer necessary to salvation. Secondly, there is implied a cheerfulness it, undergoing all that scorn and contempt with which a firm adherence to the doctrine of the cross was attended. Thirdly, there is implied in this expression, a partaking of the merits of the death of Christ, and the being dead to the moral law, in the manner mentioned in the preceding verse. As in this and other places, the ceremonial law is to be understood, so the moral law is evidently to be included In the fourth place, there is implied, in being crucified with Christ, an experience of the efficacy of His death. This is no doubt an important, if not the principal idea in the words, and which we find plainly expressed in the following passages: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. Thus is the believer crucified with Christ; and the death of sin in him resembles a crucifixion. It was a painful, shameful, lingering, and accursed death; and so is the death of sin. It is painful. The first entrance upon a religious course is difficult; and the more so, where sin has long had the dominion. Conversion is a strait gate through which we must pass, and holiness a narrow way, in which we must walk to eternal life. We must be denied to ourselves and to the world; difficulties are to be surmounted, temptations resisted, injuries forgiven, and reproaches endured. This is a painful work; often like to be overcome, and still renewing the combat. Again, it is shameful. When iniquities prevail, the believer is covered with shame and confusion of face. This may rise to such a degree, that he will be tempted to cease from seeking God. Again, the death of sin is very lingering. It is dying from the moment Christ is formed in the soul, till glory commences. Moreover, the death of the cross was an accursed death; inflicted on none but those guilty of the blackest crimes; such as were accursed of men, and held to be accursed of God too. From these considerations we may see the propriety and force of this expression, crucified with Christ, and all of the like kind in Scripture. In the last place, there is implied a self-denied temper towards this present world. Every believer, indeed, ought to be a martyr in his temper, and hang so loose to this world and its enjoyments, nay, to life itself, that he may readily part with all to win Christ. These things are implied in the crucifixion of the believer. I proceed now--

II. To consider His life. Christ liveth in him; and the life which he now lives in the flesh, is by the faith of the Son of God. This is the Divine or spiritual life which he lives in consequence of sin being mortified, and the heart renewed. As he dies to sin, so he rises to holiness. The manner in which Christ lives in the believer, is by His Holy Spirit, who begins and carries on the Divine life. We cannot make ourselves alive to God. The great instrument of this spiritual life is faith. By this they are united to the Son of God; depend upon His merits for pardon, and derive influences for sanctification. It is called the faith of the Son of God, because He is the great object of it, and because it is of His bestowing. Perhaps there is something in this phrase more peculiar to the time in which the apostle lived. The faith of the Son of God; that is, a firm belief that Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified on Calvary, was the true and expected Messiah; that He was no impostor, but really the Son of God; that He rose again and ascended up into heaven; and that there is forgiveness of sins through His blood. Faith in Christ, as being the Son of God, is that by which every believer lives. Allow me, in a few particulars, to point out its influence. First, faith is that act of the soul which receives and rests upon the righteousness of Christ for pardon and acceptance with God. Secondly, by faith, influences are derived for the mortification of sin and the promotion of holiness. He that abideth in Me, saith Christ, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing. Once more, faith influences the believer to live with regard to another world. It is described in the Epistle to the Hebrews to be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Let us now turn our attention to some improvement of this subject. First, learn, my brethren, that the religion of Jesus leads to strict holiness of heart and life. Secondly, this subject ought to be faithfully improved for the trial of ourselves. (W. Linn, D. D.)

Who loved me and gave himself for me

In the Peninsular War our troops, borne back by the superior force of the enemy, had on one occasion to retreat, and hastened to place a river between them and the foe. The last of the men had swum the stream. The bugles were sounded, and the army was about to march over the high ground, When, looking across to the opposite bank, already occupied by the French sharp-shooters, they saw a woman. She was a common camp-follower. She had lost her way when the camp was breaking up, and had been accidentally left behind. There she stood, holding out her arms in apparent dumb entreaty, for her voice was lost in the roar of the flood and the rattle of the musketry. What was to be done? Who would venture across in the face of the enemy for a common camp-follower? Suddenly the ranks opened, and out came an officer. He rode his horse into the rushing river, one man riding back to charge an army. Many a rifle was aimed at his gallant head as he stemmed the stream, and passed over amid a very shower of bullets. He reached the farther shore, swung the woman before him on the saddle-bow, turned his horses head again to the river, and dashed into that ride of death. But our enemies, a gallant and generous nation, saw now what was his object--saw that he had risked his life to save a woman. Down went every musket, not a shot was fired at him, and out rang the cheers of the enemy, cheers which were caught up and echoed from the British lines as he passed over safely with that living trophy of his noble gallantry, stamped true knight of God by the manly deed that for one moment had united hostile armies in a sense of their common brotherhood. (Ellice Hopkins.)

The expiatory sacrifice of Christ

I. The sufferings of Christ were strictly expiatory. He suffered not as an example, as a substitute.

II. The love of Christ which caused Him thus to suffer. There was no other reason why our Lord should suffer but that He loved us. It was not necessary to the perfection of the Divine government; we could claim no such atonement. The sufferings furnish the measure of that love. Among our fellow-beings we measure the greatness of an affection by that which it consents to sacrifice.

III. The believers duty and privilege to consider himself individually as the object of that Divine sacrifice, and of that Divine love--He loved me. (B. W. Noel, M. A.)

Christs love intense

Its intensity is beyond all knowledge. He feels for His people an affection--however difficult it is for our carnal hearts to value it--an affection which infinitely surpasses all that is ever seen among the sons of men. His love, for its condescension, for its patience, for its self-denial, for its faithfulness stands perfect and alone--unrivalled by any affection ever witnessed among men, or which ever can be in heaven. It passes all power of thought, in time or in eternity, to estimate it; it passes the knowledge of men, and the knowledge of angels too; it is a fathomless ocean, and a boundless; and is so clear that we may look down with wonder into its depths; and so bright that we may gaze with ever-increasing admiration on its splendour and glory. With what feelings of gratitude to that Saviour, then, ought we to say that He loved us, and gave Himself for us! (B. W. Noel, M. A.)

The secret of a true life

I. Here is a glorious lover. The Son of God loved me, and gave Himself for me. I believe that my life is controlled and consecrated by a consciousness that somebody loves it. The greater the person, sometimes, the more highly prized the love; at least, the more worthy the person, the greater our appreciation of the love. Whose love is like the Deity, an omnipotent love, all the gates of hell cannot prevail against it: an omnipresent love, never is there a condition of life in which it does not prove itself; an omniscient love, reaching down to the unknown wants of the soul. This love fills heaven with wonder.

II. The glorious act of love. It has its reason in itself, not for the perception of that which was lovable in the soul. Every perfection is mingled with His love; it is connected with every office that Jesus has assumed; He is our Prophet, Priest, King, Shepherd, Surety, Physician.

III. Who is the loved one? He loved me. Paul, who art thou?… A persecutor. He loved angels, inanimate nature; this we might expect. Only the mouth of faith can syllable these words. Pride, unbelief, keep back the acknow-lodgment.

IV. The Love Gift--Himself. No constraint. (S. H. Tyng.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gal 2:20-21. The apostle proceeds in describing how he was freed from the dominion as well as guilt of sin, and how far he was from continuing in the commission of it. I am crucified with Christ — To sin, to the world, and all selfish and corrupt desires and designs; my old man, my sinful nature, with its affections and lusts, is crucified with him; that is, through his death on the cross, and the grace procured for me, and bestowed on me thereby, that the body of sin may be destroyed, Rom 6:6. In other words, I have such a sense of his dying love in my hearty and of the excellence of that method of justification and salvation which he hath accomplished on the cross, that in consequence of it, I am dead to all the allurements of the world and sin, as well as to all views of obtaining righteousness and life by the law. Nevertheless I live — A new and spiritual life, in union with God through Christ, and in a conformity to his will; yet not I — The holy, happy life which I now live, is neither procured by my own merit, nor caused by my own power. Or, as ζω δε ουκ ετι εγω is more properly rendered, I live no longer, namely, as to my former sinful self, state, and nature, being made dead to the world and sin; but Christ liveth in me — By his word and Spirit, his truth and grace; and is a fountain of life in my inmost soul, from which all my tempers, words, and actions flow. And the life that I now live in the flesh — Even in this mortal body, and while I am surrounded with the snares, and exposed to the trials and troubles of this sinful world; I live by the faith of — Or rather, as the apostle undoubtedly means, by faith in, and reliance on, the Son of God — The spiritual life which I live, I derive from him by the continual exercise of faith in his sacrifice and intercession, and through the supplies of grace communicated by him; who loved me — With a compassionate, benevolent, forgiving, and bountiful love; to such a degree that he gave himself — Delivered himself up to ignominy, torture, and death; for me — That he might procure my redemption and salvation. In the meantime I do not frustrate — Or make void, in seeking to be justified by my own works; the grace of God — His free, unmerited love in Christ Jesus, which they do who seek justification by the law; for if righteousness come by the law — If men may be justified by their obedience to the law, ceremonial or moral; then Christ is dead in vain — There was no necessity for his dying in order to their salvation, since they might have been saved without his death; might, by the merit of their own obedience, have been discharged from condemnation, and by their own efforts made holy, and consequently have been both entitled to, and fitted for, eternal life.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Galatians

FROM CENTRE TO CIRCUMFERENCE

Gal 2:20.

We have a bundle of paradoxes in this verse. First, ‘I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live.’ The Christian life is a dying life. If we are in any real sense joined to Christ, the power of His death makes us dead to self and sin and the world. In that region, as in the physical, death is the gate of life; and, inasmuch as what we die to in Christ is itself only a living death, we live because we die, and in proportion as we die.

The next paradox is, ‘Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.’ The Christian life is a life in which an indwelling Christ casts out, and therefore quickens, self. We gain ourselves when we lose ourselves. His abiding in us does not destroy but heightens our individuality. We then most truly live when we can say, ‘Not I, but Christ liveth in me’; the soul of my soul and the self of myself.

And the last paradox is that of my text, ‘The life which I live in the flesh, I live in’ {not ‘by’} ‘the faith of the Son of God.’ The true Christian life moves in two spheres at once. Externally and superficially it is ‘in the flesh,’ really it is ‘in faith.’ It belongs not to the material nor is dependent upon the physical body in which we are housed. We are strangers here, and the true region and atmosphere of the Christian life is that invisible sphere of faith.

So, then, we have in these words of my text a Christian man’s frank avowal of the secret of his own life. It is like a geological cutting, it goes down from the surface, where the grass and the flowers are, through the various strata, but it goes deeper than these, to the fiery heart, the flaming nucleus and centre of all things. Therefore it may do us all good to make a section of our hearts and see whether the _strata_ there are conformable to those that are here.

I. Let us begin with the centre, and work to the surface. We have, first, the great central fact named last, but round which all the Christian life is gathered.

‘The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ These two words, the ‘loving’ and the ‘giving,’ both point backwards to some one definite historical fact, and the only fact which they can have in view is the great one of the death of Jesus Christ. That is His giving up of Himself. That is the signal and highest manifestation and proof of His love.

Notice {though I can but touch in the briefest possible manner upon the great thoughts that gather round these words} the three aspects of that transcendent fact, the centre and nucleus of the whole Christian life, which come into prominence in these words before us. Christ’s death is a great act of self-surrender, of which the one motive is His own pure and perfect love. No doubt in other places of Scripture we have set forth the death of Christ as being the result of the Father’s purpose, and we read that in that wondrous surrender there were two givings up The Father ‘freely gave Him up to the death for us all.’ That divine surrender, the Apostle ventures, in another passage, to find dimly suggested from afar, in the silent but submissive and unreluctant surrender with which Abraham yielded his only begotten son on the mountain top. But besides that ineffable giving up by the Father of the Son, Jesus Christ Himself, moved only by His love, willingly yields Himself. The whole doctrine of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ has been marred by one-sided insisting on the truth that God sent the Son, to the forgetting of the fact that the Son ‘came’; and that He was bound to the Cross neither by cords of man’s weaving nor by the will of the Father, but that He Himself bound Himself to that Cross with the ‘cords of love and the bands of a man,’ and died from no natural necessity nor from any imposition of the divine will upon Him unwilling, but because He would, and that He would because He loved. ‘He loved me, and gave Himself for me.’

Then note, further, that here, most distinctly, that great act of self-surrendering love which culminates on the Cross is regarded as being for man in a special and peculiar sense. I know, of course, that from the mere wording of my text we cannot argue the atoning and substitutionary character of the death of Christ, for the preposition here does not necessarily mean ‘instead of,’ but ‘for the behoof of.’ But admitting that, I have another question. If Christ’s death is for ‘the behoof of’ men, in what conceivable sense does it benefit them, unless it is in the place of men? The death ‘for me’ is only for me when I understand that it is ‘instead of’ me. And practically you will find that wherever the full-orbed faith in Christ Jesus as the death for all the sins of the whole world, bearing the penalty and bearing it away, has begun to falter and grow pale, men do not know what to do with Christ’s death at all, and stop talking about it to a very large extent.

Unless He died as a sacrifice, I, for one, fail to see in what other than a mere sentimental sense the death of Christ is a death for men.

And lastly, about this matter, observe how here we have brought into vivid prominence the great thought that Jesus Christ in His death has regard to single souls. We preach that He died for all. If we believe in that august title which is laid here as the vindication of our faith on the one hand, and as the ground of the possibility of the benefits of His death being world-wide on the other--viz. the Son of God--then we shall not stumble at the thought that He died for all, because He died for each. I know that if you only regard Jesus Christ as human I am talking utter nonsense; but I know, too, that if we believe in the divinity of our Lord, there need be nothing to stumble us, but the contrary, in the thought that it was not an abstraction that He died for, that it was not a vague mass of unknown beings, clustered together, but so far away that He could not see any of their faces, for whom He gave His life on the Cross. That is the way in which, and in which alone, _we_ can embrace the whole mass of humanity--by losing sight of the individuals. We generalise, precisely because we do not see the individual units; but that is not God’s way, and that is not Christ’s way, who is divine. For Him the _all_ is broken up into its parts, and when we say that the divine love loves all, we mean that the divine love loves each. I believe {and I commend the thought to you} that we do not fathom the depth of Christ’s sufferings unless we recognise that the sins of each man were consciously adding pressure to the load beneath which He sank; nor picture the wonders of His love until we believe that on the Cross it distinguished and embraced each, and, therefore, comprehended all. Every man may say, ‘He loved me, and gave Himself for me.’

II. So much, then, for the first central fact that is here. Now let me say a word, in the second place, about the faith which makes that fact the foundation of my own personal life.

‘I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ I am not going to plunge into any unnecessary dissertations about the nature of faith; but may I say that, like all other familiar conceptions, it has got worn so smooth that it glides over our mental palate without roughening any of the _papillæ_ or giving any sense or savour at all? And I do believe that dozens of people like you, who have come to church and chapel all your lives, and fancy yourselves to be fully _au fait_ at all the Christian truth that you will ever hear from my lips, do not grasp with any clearness of apprehension the meaning of that fundamental word ‘faith.’

It is a thousand pities that it is confined by the accidents of language to our attitude in reference to Jesus Christ. So some of you think that it is some kind of theological juggle which has nothing to do with, and never can be seen in operation in, common life. Suppose, instead of the threadbare, technical ‘faith’ we took to a new translation for a minute, and said ‘_trust_,’ do you think that would freshen up the thought to you at all? It is the very same thing which makes the sweetness of your relations to wife and husband and friend and parent, which, transferred to Jesus Christ and glorified in the process, becomes the seed of immortal life and the opener of the gate of Heaven. Trust Jesus Christ. That is the living centre of the Christian life; that is the process by which we draw the general blessing of the Gospel into our own hearts, and make the world-wide truth, our truth.

I need not insist either, I suppose, on the necessity, if our Christian life is to be modelled upon the Apostolic lines, of our faith embracing the Christ in all these aspects in which I have been speaking about His work. God forbid that I should seem to despise rudimentary and incomplete feelings after Him in any heart which may be unable to say ‘Amen’ to Paul’s statement here. I want to insist very earnestly, and with special reference to the young, that the true Christian faith is not merely the grasp of the person, but it is the grasp of the Person who is ‘declared to be the Son of God,’ and whose death is the voluntary self-surrender motived by His love, for the carrying away of the sins of every single soul in the whole universe. That is the Christ, the full Christ, cleaving to whom our faith finds somewhat to grasp worthy of grasping. And I beseech you, be not contented with a partial grasp of a partial Saviour; neither shut your eyes to the divinity of His nature, nor to the efficacy of His death, but remember that the true Gospel preaches Christ and Him crucified; and that for us, saving faith is the faith that grasps the Son of God ‘Who loved me and gave Himself for me.’

Note, further, that true faith is personal faith, which appropriates, and, as it were, fences in as my very own, the purpose and benefit of Christ’s giving of Himself. It is always difficult for lazy people {and most of us are lazy} to transfer into their own personal lives, and to bring into actual contact with themselves and their own experience, wide, general truths. To assent to them, when we keep them in their generality, is very easy and very profitless. It does no man any good to say ‘All men are mortal’; but how different it is when the blunt end of that generalisation is shaped into a point, and I say ‘I have to die!’ It penetrates then, and it sticks. It is easy to say ‘All men are sinners.’ That never yet forced anybody down on his knees. But when we shut out on either side the lateral view and look straight on, on the narrow line of our own lives, up to the Throne where the Lawgiver sits, and feel ‘I am a sinful man,’ that sends us to our prayers for pardon and purity. And in like manner nobody was ever wholesomely terrified by the thought of a general judgment. But when you translate it into ‘I must stand there,’ the terror of the Lord persuades men.

In like manner that great truth which we all of us say we believe, that Christ has died for the world, is utterly useless and profitless to us until we have translated it into Paul’s world, ‘loved _me_ and gave Himself for _me_.’ I do not say that the essence of faith is the conversion of the general statement into the particular application, but I do say that there is no faith which does not realise one’s personal possession of the benefits of the death of Christ, and that until you turn the wide word into a message for yourself alone, you have not yet got within sight of the blessedness of the Christian life. The whole river may flow past me, but only so much of it as I can bring into my own garden by my own sluices, and lift in my own bucket, and put to my own lips, is of any use to me. The death of Christ for the world is a commonplace of superficial Christianity, which is no Christianity; the death of Christ for myself, as if He and I were the only beings in the universe, that is the death on which faith fastens and feeds.

And, dear brother, you have the right to exercise it. The Christ loves each, and therefore He loves all; that is the process in the divine mind. The converse is the process in the revelation of that mind; the Bible says to us, Christ loves all, and therefore we have the right to draw the inference that He loves each. You have as much right to take every ‘whosoever’ of the New Testament as your very own, as if on the page of your Bible that ‘whosoever’ was struck out, and your name, John, Thomas, Mary, Elizabeth, or whatever it is, were put in there. ‘He loved _me_.’ Can _you_ say that? Have you ever passed from the region of universality, which is vague and profitless, into the region of personal appropriation of the person of Jesus Christ and His death?

III. And now, lastly, notice the life which is built upon this faith.

The true Christian life is dual. It is a life in the flesh, and it is also a life in faith. These two, as I have said, are like two spheres, in either of which a man’s course is passed, or, rather, the one is surface and the other is central. Here is a great trailing spray of seaweed floating golden on the unquiet water, and rising and falling on each wave or ripple. Aye! but its root is away deep, deep, deep below the storms, below where there is motion, anchored upon a hidden rock that can never move. And so my life, if it be a Christian life at all, has its surface amidst the shifting mutabilities of earth, but its root in the silent eternities of the centre of all things, which is Christ in God. I live in the flesh on the outside, but if I am a Christian at all, I live in the faith in regard of my true and proper being.

This faith, which grasps the Divine Christ as the person whose love-moved death is my life, and who by my faith becomes Himself the Indwelling Guest in my heart; this faith, if it be worth anything, will mould and influence my whole being. It will give me motive, pattern, power for all noble service and all holy living. The one thing that stirs men to true obedience is that their hearts be touched with the firm assurance that Christ loved them and died for them.

We sometimes used to see men starting an engine by manual force; and what toil it was to get the great cranks to turn, and the pistons to rise! So we set ourselves to try and move our lives into holiness and beauty and nobleness, and it is dispiriting work. There is a far better, surer way than that: let the steam in, and that will do it. That is to say--let the Christ in His dying power and the living energy of His indwelling Spirit occupy the heart, and activity becomes blessedness, and work is rest, and service is freedom and dominion.

The life that I live in the flesh is poor, limited, tortured with anxiety, weighed upon by sore distress, becomes dark and gray and dreary often as we travel nearer the end, and is always full of miseries and of pains. But if within that life in the flesh there be a life in faith, which is the life of Christ Himself brought to us through our faith, that life will be triumphant, quiet, patient, aspiring, noble, hopeful, gentle, strong, Godlike, being the life of Christ Himself within us.

So, dear friends, test your faith by these two tests, what it grasps and what it does. If it grasps a whole Christ, in all the glory of His nature and the blessedness of His work, it is genuine; and it proves its genuineness if, and only if, it works in you by love; animating all your action, bringing you ever into the conscious presence of that dear Lord, and making Him pattern, law, motive, goal, companion and reward. ‘To me to live is Christ.’

If so, then we live indeed; but to live in the flesh is to die; and the death that we die when we live in Christ is the gate and the beginning of the only real life of the soul.

Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (1904–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2:20 A law-free Good News does not lead to lawlessness, as Paul’s opponents argued (2:17), because lawlessness is a response of the unredeemed. The redeemed Christian has been crucified with Christ. See also Col 2:11-14, 20-23. A Christian has laid aside the old self, which strove to achieve merit by keeping the law (cp. Rom 7:4-6). • It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me: Christians, having experienced Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom 6:1-14), have new hearts (see Jer 31:31-34; 32:38-41; Ezek 11:19-20; 36:24-31) by the indwelling power of the Spirit (see Rom 8:9-11; Eph 3:16-19; Col 1:27; 3:1-17). • I live in this earthly body: Christianity does not teach that the body is evil or that we have to escape from this world to have fellowship with God. Instead, by trusting in the Son of God, we fulfill God’s purposes for our lives. • who loved me and gave himself for me: Christ’s self-giving love makes new life possible (Gal 1:4; Rom 8:32-39; 2 Thes 2:16-17).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Gal 2:20. Συνεσταύρωμαι, I am crucified with) Death is included in the cross, as is evident from the antithesis, I live; comp. Php 2:8. On communion with the same; Php 3:10.—ζῶ δὲ, nevertheless I live) after that death.—οὐκ ἔτι ἐγὼ) [Engl. Vers., yet not 1.] No longer I, as a Jew: Col 3:11.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gal_2:20. Ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγὼ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός] The comma which is usually placed after ζῶ δὲ is correctly expunged by Lachmann, Rückert, Usteri, Matthies, Schott, Tischendorf, Wieseler, Hofmann; for, if ζῶ … ἐγώ were not to be conjoined, ἀλλά must have stood before οὐκέτι. The second δὲ is our but indeed after a negative (Hartung, Partikell. I. p. 171), and ζῶ and ζῇ are on both occasions emphatically prefixed: alive however no longer am I, but alive indeed is Christ in me; whereby the new relation of life is forcibly contrasted to the previously expressed relation of death (Χριστῷ συνεστ.). After the crucifixion of Christ followed His new life; he, therefore, who is crucified with Christ, thenceforth lives also with Him; his whole pre-Christian moral personality is, in virtue of that fellowship of death, no longer in life (ὁ παλαιὸς αὐτοῦ ἄνθρωπος συνεσταυρώθη, Rom_6:6), and Christ is the principle of life in him. This change is brought about by faith (see the sequel), inasmuch as in the believer, according to the representation here given of Pauls own experience, it is no longer the individual personality that is the agent of life (mortuus est Saulus, Erasmus), but Christ, who is present in him (through the Spirit, Rom_8:9 f.; Eph_3:16 f.), and works, determines, and rules everything in him, ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγώ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός: the mind of Christ is in him (1Co_2:16), the heart of Christ beats in him (Php_1:8), and His power is effectual in him. Thereby is the proof of the words ἵνα Θεῷ ζήσω rightly given; see on Rom_6:10.

ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκὶ κ.τ.λ.] Explanation of what has just been said, ζῶ … Χριστός: but that which I now live in the flesh, I live in faith on, etc. This explanation is placed by δέ in formal contradistinction to the preceding apparent paradox. The emphasis, however, lies on νῦν, now, namely, since the beginning of my Christian condition of life, so that a glance is thrown back to the time before the Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι, and νῦν corresponds with οὐκέτι. Νῦν is often understoodas by Erasmus, Grotius (adhuc), Rückert, Usteri, Schott, following Augustine and Theodoretin contrast not with the pre-Christian life, but with the future life after death (rather: after the παρουσία). A reference of this kind is, however, entirely foreign to the context, does not harmonize with the emphasis which is laid on νῦν by its position, and is by no means required by ἐν σαρκί; for this addition to ζῶ is made by Paul simply with a view to indicate that after his conversion the material form of his life remained the same, although its ethical nature had become something entirely different.

ἐν σαρκί] denotes life in the natural human phenomenal form of the body consisting of flesh. The context does not convey any reference to the ethical character of the σάρξ (as sedes peccati). Comp. Php_1:22; 2Co_10:3.

ἐν πίστει] not per fidem (Chrysostom, Beza, and others), but, corresponding to ἐν σαρκί, in faith; so that faithand indeed (comp. Gal_1:16) the faith in the great sum and substance of the revelation received, in the Son of God (notice the anarthrous πίστει, and then the article affixed to the more precise definition)is the specific element in which my life moves and acts and is developed. It is prefixed emphatically, in contrast to the entirely different pre-Christian sphere of life, which was the νόμος.

τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με κ.τ.λ.] points out the special historical fact of salvation, which is the subject-matter of the faith in the Son of God, giving impulse to this new life. Comp. Rom_8:37; Eph_5:2. Καί is explanatory, adding the practical proof of the love. Observe also the μέ and ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ (see on Gal_1:4) as expressive of the conscious and assured fiducia in the fides.[109]

Lastly, the construction is such, that ὅ is the accusative of the object to Ζῶ, and the whole runs on in connection: the life which I live, I live, etc. See Bernhardy, p. 106; Fritzsche, ad Rom. I. p. 393 f.; Dissen, ad Dem. de cor. p. 302. The interpretation: quod vero attinet, quod, etc. (Winer), is indeed grammatically admissible (see on Rom_6:10), in so far as ὅ is likewise retained as the accusative of the object; but it needlessly injures the flow of the discourse.

[109] Luther well says, Hae voces: dilexit me, plenissimae sunt fidei, et qui hoc breve pronomen me illa fide dicere et sibi applicare posset, qua Paulus, etiam futurus esset optimus disputator una cum Paulo contra legem. But this faith is not the fides formata (Catholics, including Bisping and Reithmayr), although it is the source of Christian love and Christian life.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gal 2:20 . Χριστῷ συνεστ . The Greek order throws special emphasis on Χριστῷ : union with Christ became from that time the central feature of his life; it entailed in the beginning a fellowship with his crucifixion, a real crucifixion of heart and will. By this figure he describes the intense agony of spiritual conflict, the crushing load of shame and bitter remorse which he underwent during the three days of darkness and silent despair that followed his vision of the Christ. ζῶ δὲ : And I live . I can perceive no ground for rendering δέ nevertheless (A.V.) or yet (R.V.). There is no contrast here between the life and the previous death: on the contrary, the life is presented as the direct outcome of the death. As the resurrection of Christ was the sequel of the crucifixion, so Paul was joined to Christ in death that he might be joined to Him in spiritual life. οὐκ ἔτι … The new life is no longer, like the former, dependent on the struggling efforts of a mere man to draw near to God in his own righteousness. Christ Himself is its source, as the vine is the source of life to the branches. ὃ δὲ ζῶ : But in that I live . Our versions make this = ἣν ζωὴν ζῶ ; but it seems to me more accordant with the context and with Greek forms of expression to make ὅ = in that , as it is rendered by A.V. in Rom 6:10 . Two instances of this adverbial use of ὅ for a connecting particle have been already noted in this Epistle (Gal 1:7 , Gal 2:10 ). Paul is here accounting for the fact that he now possesses spiritual life, though still in the flesh and subject to motions of sin in his members: it belongs to him in virtue of his faith in the Son of God. με … ἐμοῦ . The previous clauses have expressed the intimate personal union between the spirit of Paul and his Divine Master. In harmony with that view an exclusive personal aspect is presented of the love of Christ and of His sacrifice on the Cross, as though Paul himself had been their sole object.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20. τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ אACDb.c etc. vulg. syrr. Marcion Clem. Alex.; τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ χριστοῦ BD*G (“hoc est in fide vivo dei et Christi,” Victorinus).

20. The first half of this verse is an expansion of the meaning of both the death and the life mentioned in Gal 2:19. I died to the Law for I have been crucified with Christ; I live to God, for Christ lives in me.

Observe also that (1) the verse brings out the greatness of the Gospel which the Galatians are inclined to reject. Life is not in the Law and yet you would go back to it! Life is in Christ, and that fully. (2) While in cc. 1 and 2 St Paul has spoken much of Christ’s call to him, so that he was independent of the Twelve, here he shows what Christ can become in the inner life of believers. I died, it is true, but it was with Christ; I live, nay to put it more truly, Christ lives in me.

Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι. The compound verb only here and Rom 6:6 (to be compared closely) in St Paul’s writings, in both places metaphorically, and in the account of the crucifixion in Matthew, Mark, John literally[85]. The metaphorical sense of the simple verb occurs in Gal 5:24, Gal 6:14[86].

[85] Is affixed to a word it means that all the passages are mentioned where that word occurs in the New Testament.

[86] Is affixed to a word it means that all the passages are mentioned where that word occurs in the New Testament.

Observe that the cross has the connotation not only of death but also of shame. It is the antithesis to the self-estimation of the successful Jew Gal 1:13-14.

But how was St Paul crucified with Christ? He went over to Christ’s side, took his position with Him in His shame, venturing all on Him, passing in spirit with Him as He endured pain and death. St Paul’s old life thus came to an end, and he shared the new resurrection life on which Christ entered. See Rom 7:1-7 where this is expressed fully.

The perfect suggests that the crucifixion has had an abiding result upon him. He has never been the same since.

ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγώ. But my crucifixion has not been only for death, it has been for life. Had St Paul written ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκέτι ζῶ the emphasis would have been on the death of his own personality, i.e. “and it is no longer I that live,” R.V. margin. As it is, the emphasis is primarily on ζῶ, and the meaning is that of the somewhat clumsy R.V. text, “yet I live; (and yet) no longer I.”

ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός. There seems to be no exact parallel, but cf. Gal 4:19 note; Col 3:4 note (where see quotations from Irenaeus); Rom 6:8; 1Jn 5:12; Joh 6:54; Joh 6:57; Joh 11:25; Joh 14:6; Joh 17:23, also Eph 3:17. Of course St Paul does not mean that his former personality is gone, but that Christ, not self, rules, and Christ lives in him, giving both power and character to his life.

ὃ δὲ. An inner accusative after ζῶ, “the life I live”; but perhaps adverbial, “in that” (cf. Winer-Schmiedel, § 24. 9).

νῦν in contrast to the time before his conversion; hardly to the future.

ζῶ. Observe that St Paul refers to the principle of life, not to its circumstances, manner, or interest. Contrast Col 2:20; Col 3:7.

ἐν σαρκί epexegetic of ζῶ, cf. Php 1:22.

ἐν πίστει (emphatic) ζῶ τῇ. He lives in faith as contrasted with the Law, but, after all, a certain kind of faith, that which is directed towards Christ.

τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. See notes on Textual Criticism. The word Christ is not sufficient for St Paul. For the higher the nature of Him who sacrifices Himself the greater seems the love that prompts Him.

τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με. Only here, in this sense, with the object in the singular, but frequently with the plural, e.g. Rom 8:37.

καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ. Rom 4:25; Eph 5:2; Eph 5:25. St Paul in the enthusiasm of his personal gratitude to Christ seems to have wandered from his subject. Yet nothing was more likely to win the Galatians back to steadfastness in the Gospel than to remind them of Christ’s love, and that for each individually—σὺ δὲ μετὰ τοσαῦτα ἀγαθὰ πρὸς τὰ παλαιὰ παλινδρομεῖς; (Chrys.). In fact the self-sacrifice of Christ, in His life and in His death, has always been both the origin of the Christian’s life and the model set before him; see the references to Eph.: see also infra Gal 6:2 note. For ὑπέρ see the note on Phm 1:13 and Gal 1:4; Gal 3:13.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20. Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι· “I have been crucified with Christ.” The thought of participation with Christ in the experiences of his redemptive work is a favourite one with Paul, and the metaphors by which he expresses it are sometimes quite complicated. Cf. Rom 6:4-8, Rom 8:17, Php 3:10, Col 2:12-14, Col 2:20, 3:Col 2:1-4. A literal interpretation of these expressions, as if the believer were in literal fact crucified with Christ, buried with him, raised with him, etc., is, of course, impossible. The thought which the apostle’s type of mind and enthusiastic joy in the thought of fellowship with Christ led him to express in this form involves in itself three elements, which with varying degrees of emphasis are present in his several expressions of it, viz.: the participation of the believer in the benefits of Christ’s experience, a spiritual fellowship with him in respect to these experiences, and the passing of the believer through a similar or analogous experience. The first element is distinctly expressed in 2Co 5:15 and Rom 4:24, Rom 4:25, and is probably in mind along with the third in Col 2:20, Col 2:3:1; cf. 2:14. The second is the predominant element in Php 3:10, and the third in Rom 8:17, while in Rom 6:5 both the second and the third are probably in mind. In the present instance the verb συνεσταύρωμαι indicates that the experience of Christ referred to is his death upon the cross, and the context implies that the experience of Paul here spoken of is his death to law. Whether this death to law is related to the death of Christ objectively by virtue of a participation of the believer in the effects of Christ’s death (cf. Rom 3:24, Rom 3:25) or subjectively by a spiritual fellowship of the believer with Christ in respect to his death (cf. Rom 6:10, Rom 6:11) is not decisively indicated. On the one side, Paul has elsewhere expressed the idea that the believer is free from law by virtue of the work, specifically the death, of Christ (chap. 3:13, Col 2:14, Eph 3:15, Eph 3:16; cf. Gal 2:4, Gal 5:1, Rom 10:4), and in Col 2:20 expressed this participation as a dying with Christ. On the other hand, while he has several times spoken of dying with Christ in the sense of entering into a spiritual fellowship with him in his death, he has nowhere clearly connected the freedom from the law with such fellowship.* Probably therefore he has here in mind rather the objective fact that the death of Christ brings to an end the reign of law (as in Rom 10:4, and esp. Col 2:14) than that the individual believer is freed from law by his spiritual fellowship with Christ in death. Yet such is the many-sidedness of the apostle’s thought that neither element can be decisively excluded. In either case the expression still further enforces the argument in defence of his death to law. It was brought about through law; it was necessary in order that I might live to God; it is demanded by the death of Christ on the cross, wherein he made us free from law, bringing it to an end, or by my fellowship with him in that death.

Ltft., interpreting συνεσταύρωμαι by the use of the same word in Rom 6:6 and by the use of the simple verb in Gal 5:24, Gal 6:14 refers it to a death to sin, the annihilation of old sins. Such a change in the application of a figure is by no means impossible in Paul (see the varied use of ἡμέρα in 1Th 5:2-8). But a sudden veering off from the central subject of his thought—the point which it was essential that he should carry—to an irrelevant matter is not characteristic of the apostle, and is certainly not demanded here by the mere fact that he has in another context used similar phraseology in a sense required by that context, but not harmonious with this.

ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγώ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός· “and it is no longer I that live, but Christ that liveth in me.” The order of the Greek is very expressive even when reproduced in English: “and live no longer I, but liveth in me Christ.” The first δέ is not adversative but continuative, the sentence expressing another aspect of the same fact set forth in the preceding sentence. The translation of AV. and RV., “Yet I live, yet no longer I,” is wholly unwarranted; this meaning would have required ἀλλά before οὐκέτι. Cf. RV. mg. The second δέ is sub-adversative (Ell.), equivalent to the German “sondern,” introducing the positive correlative to a preceding negative, statement. In this sentence Paul is clearly speaking of spiritual fellowship with Christ (cf. on v. 19). Yet this is not a departure from the central thought of the whole passage. He has already said in v. 19 that the purpose of the dying to law was that he might devote himself directly to the service of God instead of to the keeping of commandments. He now adds that in so doing he gains a new power for the achievement of that purpose, thus further justifying his course. Saying that it is no longer “I” that live, he implies that under law it was the “I” that lived, and the emphatic ἐγώ is the same as in Rom 7:15-20. There, indeed, it stands in vv. 17, 20 in direct antithesis to the ἁμαρτία which is inherited from the past (cf. Rom 5:12), here over against the Christ who is the power for good in the life of one who, leaving law, turns to him in faith. But the ἐγώ is the same, the natural man having good impulses and willing the good which the law commands, but opposed by the inherited evil impulse and under law unable to do the good. On the significance of the expression ἐν ἐμοί, see Rom 8:9, Rom 8:11, 1Co 2:16, Col 1:27-29, Eph 3:16-19. It is, of course, the heavenly Christ of whom he speaks, who in religious experience is not distinguishable from the Spirit of God (cf. chap. 5:16, 18, 25). With this spiritual being Paul feels himself to be living in such intimate fellowship, by him his whole life is so controlled, that he conceives him to be resident in him, imparting to him impulse and power, transforming him morally and working through him for and upon other men. Cf. 4:19. Substantially the same fact of fellowship with Christ by which he becomes the controlling factor of the life is expressed, with a difference of form of thought rather than of essential conception of the nature of the relation, by the phrase ἐν Χριστῷ, which is more frequent in Paul than ἐν ἐμοί. Cf. 1:22, 3:26, 28, 5:4, and Frame on 1Th 1:1, and references there given to modern literature.

ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, ἐν πίστει ζῶ “and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live in faith.” The sentence is continuative and epexegetic of the preceding, explaining the life which, despite his preceding affirmation that he is no longer living, he obviously still lives, by declaring that it is not an independent life of his own, but a life of faith, of dependence on the Son of God. See below.

The relative ὅ is an accusative of content, which simply puts into substantive form the content of the verb ζῶ (Delbrück, Vergleichende Syntax, III 1, §179; Rob. p. 478). νῦν manifestly refers to the time subsequent to the change expressed in νόμῳ ἀπέθανον and the corresponding later phrases. ἐν σαρκί is therefore not an ethical characterisation of the life (as in Rom 8:7, Rom 8:8) but refers to the body as the outward sphere in which the life is lived, in contrast with the life itself and the spiritual force by which it was lived. By this contrast and the fact that σάρξ often has an ethical sense, the phrase takes on perhaps a slightly concessive force: “the life that I now live though in the flesh is in reality a life of faith.” On the use of σάρξ in general, see detached note on Πνεῦμα and Σάρξ, p. 492.

The words ἐν πίστει stand in emphatic contrast with those which they immediately follow, a contrast heightened by the use of the same preposition ἐν in a different sense, or rather with different implication. For, while in both cases ἐν denotes the sphere in which the life is lived, in ἐν σαρκί the sphere is physical and not determinative of the nature of the life, in ἐν πίστει it is moral and is determinative of the character of the life. πίστει without the article is, like σαρκί, qualitative in force, and though properly a noun of personal action, is here conceived of rather as an atmosphere in which one lives and by which one’s life is characterised. For other instances of this use of the preposition with nouns properly denoting activity or condition, see 1Co 4:21, 2Co 3:7 ff. Eph 4:15, Eph 5:2.

τῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ “(faith) which is in the Son of God.” Having in the expression ἐν πίστει described faith qualitatively as the sphere of his new life, the apostle now hastens to identify that faith by the addition of the article τῇ and a genitive expressing the object of the faith. For other instances of a qualitative noun made definite by a subjoined article and limiting phrase, see W. XX 4 (WM. p. 174); Rad. p. 93; Gild.Syn. p. 283; Rob. p. 777; BMT 424; and cf. chap. 1:7, 3:21. On the objective genitive after πίστις, see on διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, v. 16. On the meaning of τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, see detached note on The Titles and Predicates of Jesus, V, p. 404. What particular phase of the meaning of this title as applied to Jesus is here in mind, or why it is chosen instead of Χριστός or Χριστός Ἰησοῦς, which have been used in this passage thus far, there is nothing in the context clearly to indicate. No theory is more probable than that here, as in 1:16, it is the Son of God as the revelation of God that he has in mind, and that this expression comes naturally to his lips in thinking of the love of Christ. See Rom 8:3, Rom 8:32; but notice also Rom 5:8, Rom 5:8:35, 39, and observe in the context of these passages the alternation of titles of Jesus while speaking of his love or the love of God, without apparent reason for the change.

τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ: so אACDb et cKL P, all the cursives, f Vg. Syr. (psh. harcl.), Boh. Sah. Arm. Eth. Goth. Clem., and other fathers. Ln. adopted the reading τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ attested by BD* FG d g. Despite its attestation by B, this is probably a Western corruption. The apostle never speaks of God expressly as the object of a Christian’s faith.

τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ· “who loved me and gave himself up for me.” Cf. the note on τοῦ δόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, chap. 1:4. Here as there, and even more clearly because of the use of the verb παραδίδωμι (cf. Rom 4:25, Rom 4:8:32, 1Co 11:23, Eph 5:2, Eph 5:25, esp. Eph 5:2) in place of the simple δίδωμι, the reference is to Christ’s voluntary surrender of himself to death. The use of μέ and ἐμοῦ rather than ἡμᾶς and ἡμῶν indicates the deep personal feeling with which the apostle writes. The whole expression, while suggesting the ground of faith and the aspect of Christ’s work with which faith has specially to do, is rather a spontaneous and grateful utterance of the apostle’s feeling called forth by the mention of the Son of God as the object of his faith than a phrase introduced with argumentative intent. On the meaning of ἀγαπάω, see on 5:14.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In this mortal body.

The same that I was before.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

I am crucified--literally, "I have been crucified with Christ." This more particularizes the foregoing. "I am dead" (Gal 2:19; Phi 3:10).

nevertheless I live; yet not I--Greek, "nevertheless I live, no longer (indeed) I." Though crucified I live; (and this) no longer that old man such as I once was (compare Rom 7:17). No longer Saul the Jew (Gal 5:24; Col 3:11, but "another man"; compare Sa1 10:6). ELLICOTT and others translate, "And it is no longer I that live, but Christ that liveth in me." But the plain antithesis between "crucified" and "live," requires the translation, "nevertheless."

the life which I now live--as contrasted with my life before conversion.

in the flesh--My life seems to be a mere animal life "in the flesh," but this is not my true life; "it is but the mask of life under which lives another, namely, Christ, who is my true life" [LUTHER].

I live by the faith, &c.--Greek, "IN faith (namely), that of (that is, which rests on) the Son of God." "In faith," answers by contrast to "in the flesh." Faith, not the flesh, is the real element in which I live. The phrase, "the Son of God," reminds us that His Divine Sonship is the source of His life-giving power.

loved me--His eternal gratuitous love is the link that unites me to the Son of God, and His "giving Himself for me," is the strongest proof of that love.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 20. I am crucified with Christ] The death of Christ on the cross has showed me that there is no hope of salvation by the law; I am therefore as truly dead to all expectation of justification by the law, as Christ was dead when he gave up the ghost upon the cross. Through him alone I live - enjoy a present life, and have a prospect of future glory.

Yet not I] It is not of my natural life I speak, nor of any spiritual things which I myself have procured; but Christ liveth in me. God made man to be a habitation of his own Spirit: the law cannot live in me so as to give me a Divine life; it does not animate, but kill; but Christ lives in me; he is the soul of my soul; so that I now live to God. But this life I have by the faith of the Son of God - by believing on Christ as a sacrifice for sin; for he loved me, and because he did so he gave himself for me - made himself a sacrifice unto death, that I might be saved from the bitter pains of death eternal.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. I am crucified with Christ. This explains the manner in which we, who are dead to the law, live to God. Ingrafted into the death of Christ, we derive from it a secret energy, as the twig does from the root. Again, the handwriting of the law,

“which was contrary to us, Christ has nailed to his cross.” (Colossians 2:14.)

Being then crucified with him, we are freed from all the curse and guilt of the law. He who endeavors to set aside that deliverance makes void the cross of Christ. But let us remember, that we are delivered from the yoke of the law, only by becoming one with Christ, as the twig draws its sap from the root, only by growing into one nature.

Nevertheless I live. To the feelings of man, the word Death is always unpleasant. Having said that we are “crucified with Christ,” he therefore adds, “that this makes us alive.”

Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. This explains what he meant by “living to God.” He does not live by his own life, but is animated by the secret power of Christ; so that Christ may be said to live and grow in him; for, as the soul enlivens the body, so Christ imparts life to his members. It is a remarkable sentiment, that believers live out of themselves, that is, they live in Christ; which can only be accomplished by holding real and actual communication with him. Christ lives in us in two ways. The one life consists in governing us by his Spirit, and directing all our actions; the other, in making us partakers of his righteousness; so that, while we can do nothing of ourselves, we are accepted in the sight of God. The first relates to regeneration, the second to justification by free grace. This passage may be understood in the latter sense; but if it is thought better to apply it to both, I will cheerfully adopt that view.

And the life which I now live in the flesh. There is hardly a sentence here which has not been torn by a variety of interpretations. Some understand by the word flesh, the depravity of sinful nature; but Paul means by it simply the bodily life, and it is to this that the objection applies. “You live a bodily life; but while this corruptible body performs its functions, — while it is supported by eating and drinking, this is not the heavenly life of Christ. It is therefore an unreasonable paradox to assert, that, while you are openly living after the ordinary manner of men, your life is not your own.”

Paul replies, that it consists in faith; which intimates that it is a secret hidden from the senses of man. The life, therefore, which we attain by faith is not visible to the bodily eye, but is inwardly perceived in the conscience by the power of the Spirit; so that the bodily life does not prevent us from enjoying, by faith, a heavenly life.

“He hath made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6.)

Again,

“You are fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God.” (Ephesians 2:19.)

And again,

“Our conversation is in heaven.” (Philippians 3:20.)

Paul’s writings are full of similar assertions, that, while we live in the world, we at the same time live in heaven; not only because our Head is there, but because, in virtue of union, we enjoy a life in common with him. (John 14:23.)

Who loved me. This is added to express the power of faith; for it would immediately occur to any one, — whence does faith derive such power as to convey into our souls the life of Christ? He accordingly informs us, that the love of Christ, and his death, are the objects on which faith rests; for it is in this manner that the effect of faith must be judged. How comes it that we live by the faith of Christ? Because “he loved us, and gave himself for us.” The love of Christ led him to unite himself to us, and he completed the union by his death. By giving himself for us, he suffered in our own person; as, on the other hand, faith makes us partakers of every thing which it finds in Christ. The mention of love is in accordance with the saying of the apostle John,

“Not that we loved God, but he anticipated us by his love.” (1 John 4:10)

For if any merit of ours had moved him to redeem us, this reason would have been stated; but now Paul ascribes the whole to love: it is therefore of free grace. Let us observe the order: “He loved us, and gave himself for us.” As if he had said, “He had no other reason for dying, but because he loved us,” and that “when we were enemies,” (Romans 5:10,) as he argues in another Epistle.

He gave himself. No words can properly express what this means; for who can find language to declare the excellency of the Son of God? Yet he it is who gave himself as a price for our redemption. Atonement, cleansing, satisfaction, and all the benefits which we derive from the death of Christ, are here represented. The words for me, are very emphatic. It will not be enough for any man to contemplate Christ as having died for the salvation of the world, unless he has experienced the consequences of this death, and is enabled to claim it as his own.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(20) In the last verse the Apostle had spoken of himself as “dead to the Law, and living unto God.” The prominent idea in the first half of this clause had been the release from that burdensome ceremonial which the Judaising party wished to bind upon Christian consciences. By a natural transition, the Apostle’s thought had passed from what the Law could not do to what Christianity could do.

The Law could not make men righteous before God. In Christ they were made righteous. How? Here, too, there was death. The Christian died with Christ to something else besides the Law. With his eye fixed upon the cross, he died a spiritual death and rose to a new spiritual life. The “old man” in him, the self-seeking and sinful element in his nature, is slain, and for it is substituted a life of such close and intimate communion with Christ that it seems as if Christ Himself were dwelling in the soul. Living upon the earth in a body of human flesh, as he is, he is animated by an intense faith in the Saviour who has given him such proofs of self-sacrificing love.

Here we come upon the same vein of mysticism that is developed in Romans 6. One main way of conceiving of the specially Christian life is through the idea of union with Christ. This idea, when ultimately pressed to precise logical definition, must necessarily contain a certain element of metaphor. Consciousness, rigorously examined, tells us that even in the most exalted souls there is no such thing as an actual union of the human and divine. At the same time, there is possible to man an influence from above so penetrating and so powerful that it would seem as if the figure of union could alone adequately express it. Nor ought this to be questioned or denied because the more common order of minds do not find themselves capable of it. (See the Notes on Romans 6, and Excursus G to that Epistle.)

I am crucified . . .—The idea is something more than that of merely “dying with Christ”—i.e., imitating the death of Christ after a spiritual manner: it involves, besides, a special reference to the cross. It is through the power of the cross, through contemplating the cross and all that is associated with it, that the Christian is enabled to mortify the promptings of sin within him, and reduce them to a state of passiveness like that of death.

Nevertheless I live.—This death unto sin, death upon one side of my nature, does not hinder me from having life upon another side. The fact is that I live in a truer sense than ever before.

Yet not I.—It is, however, no longer the old natural man in me that lives: it is not that part of the human personality which has its root in matter, and is “of the earth, earthy,” but that part which is re-formed by the Spirit of Christ.

Now.—In my present condition as a Christian opposed to the old condition prior to the conversion.

In the flesh.—In this bodily human frame; man though I be. The Christian is outwardly the same as other men; it is his inner life which is “hid with Christ in God.”

By the faith.—The article is better omitted: by faith. The Apostle does not quite go so far as to say that faith is the cause of his physical life, though we may see, by other passages, that he is at least prepared to look upon faith as the great pledge, and even cause, of the physical resurrection. Here he is speaking of faith rather as the element or atmosphere in which the Christian lives. He is, as it were, steeped in faith.

Of the Son of God—i.e., faith of which the Son of God is the object; faith in the Son of God.

There is a curious variation of reading here. Some ancient authorities (including the Codex Vaticanus) instead of “faith in the Son of God,” have “faith in God and Christ.” This might appear to have some internal probability, as the less obvious expression of the two; but it may be perhaps explained satisfactorily in another way. On the whole, it seems best to abide by the Received text, which is that of the majority of MSS.

Who loved me.—Christ died for the whole world, but each individual Christian has a right to appropriate His death to himself. The death of Christ was prompted by love, not for the abstraction humanity, but for men as individuals.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I am crucified with Christ,.... Not literally, for so only the two thieves were crucified with him, but mystically; Christ was crucified for him in his room and stead, and so he was crucified with him, and in him, as his head and representative. Christ sustained the persons of all his people, and what he did and suffered was in their name, and on their account, and so they were crucified and suffered with him, as they are said to be buried with him, and to be risen with him, and to sit together in heavenly places in him. Moreover, their old man was crucified with him; when he was crucified, all their sins, the whole body of them, were laid upon him, and he bore them, and bore them away, destroyed and made an end of them; they received their mortal wound by his crucifixion and death, so as never to be able to have any damning power over them; and in consequence of this the affections and lusts are crucified, and the deeds of the body of sin mortified by the Spirit and grace of God, in regeneration and sanctification, so as not to have the dominion over them; the world is crucified to them, and they to the world; and this is another reason proving that justification by Christ is no licentious doctrine. This clause is, in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, put at the end of the preceding verse.

Nevertheless I live; which is to be understood, not of his natural, but of his spiritual life; the life of justification he lived, by faith, on the righteousness of Christ; and the life of sanctification which he had from Christ, by the quickening influences of his Spirit, by virtue of which he walked in newness of life. The believer is a mere paradox, he is dead to the law, and "yet lives" to God; he is crucified with Christ, and yet lives by him; yea, a crucified Christ lives in him.

Yet not I; not the same I as before, but quite another man, a new creature: he did not now live as in his state of unregeneracy, and whilst in Judaism; he was not now Saul the blasphemer, the persecutor, and injurious person; nor did he now live Saul the Pharisee: or the life he had was not of his own obtaining and procuring; his life of righteousness was not of himself, but Christ; his being quickened, or having principles of life and holiness implanted in him, was not by himself, but by the Spirit; and the holy life and conversation he lived was not owing to himself, to his power and strength, but to the grace of God; or it was not properly himself, or so much he that lived,

but Christ liveth in me: who was not only the author and maintainer of his spiritual life, but the life itself; he was formed in his soul, dwelt in his heart, was united to him, was one with him, whence all vital principles and vital actions sprung, and all the communion and comforts of a spiritual life flowed.

And the life which I now live in the flesh; in the body, whilst in this mortal state, whereby he distinguishes that spiritual life he had from Christ, and through Christ's living in him, both from the natural life of his body, and from that eternal life he expected to live in another world; and which, he says,

I live by the faith of the Son of God; meaning, not that faith which Christ, as man, had, but that of which he is the author and object, by which the just man lives; not upon it, for the believer does not live upon any of his graces, no, not upon faith, but by faith on Christ, the object; looking to him for pardon, righteousness, peace, joy, comfort, every supply of grace, and eternal salvation: which object is described as "the Son of God"; who is truly God, equal with his Father; so that he did not live upon a creature, or forsake the fountain of living waters, but upon the only begotten Son of God, who is full of grace and truth: of whom he further says,

who loved me; before the foundation of the world, from everlasting, prior to his love to him; and freely, without any regard to worth or merit, and though he was a blasphemer and a persecutor; and him personally, and particularly, in a distinguishing manner, of which he had a special knowledge and application by the Spirit of God; and was a reason and argument constraining him, and prevailing on him to live to him who loved him, and died for him, or, as he adds,

and gave himself for me; his whole self, his soul and body, as in union with his divine person, into the hands of justice, and unto death, in his room and stead, as an offering and sacrifice for sin, and which he did freely and voluntarily; and is a strong and full proof of his love to him. Now though Christ gave his life a ransom for many, and himself for his whole church, and all the members of his mystical body, yet the apostle speaks of this matter as singularly respecting himself, as if almost he was the only person Christ loved and died for; which shows that faith deals with Christ not in a general way, as the Saviour of the world, but with a special regard to a man's self: this is the life of faith; and these considerations of the person, love, and grace of Christ, animate and encourage faith in its exercises on him.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

I am crucified with Christ - In the previous verse, Paul had said that he was dead. In this verse he states what he meant by it, and shows that he did not wish to be understood as saying that he was inactive, or that he was literally insensible to the appeals made to him by other beings and objects. In respect to one thing he was dead; to all that was truly great and noble he was alive. To understand the remarkable phrase, “I am crucified with Christ,” we may remark:

(1) That this was the way in which Christ was put to death. He suffered on a cross, and thus became literally dead.

(2) In a sense similar to this, Paul became dead to the Law, to the world, and to sin. The Redeemer by the death of the cross became insensible to all surrounding objects, as the dead always are. He ceased to see, and hear, and was as though they were not. He was laid in the cold grave, and they did not affect or influence him. So Paul says that he became insensible to the Law as a means of justification; to the world; to ambition and the love of money; to the pride and pomp of life, and to the dominion of evil and hateful passions. They lost their power over him; they ceased to influence him.

(3) This was with Christ, or by Christ. It cannot mean literally that he was put to death with him, for that is not true. But it means that the effect of the death of Christ on the cross was to make him dead to these things, in like manner as he, when he died, became insensible to the things of this busy world. This may include the following things:

There was an intimate union between Christ and his people, so that what affected him, affected them; see Joh 15:5-6. The death of the Redeemer on the cross involved as a consequence the death of his people to the world and to sin; see Gal 5:24; Gal 6:14. It was like a blow at the root of a vine or a tree, which would affect every branch and tendril or like a blow at the head which affects every member of the body. Paul felt identified with the Lord Jesus; and he was willing to share in all the ignominy and contempt which was connected with the idea of the crucifixion. He was willing to regard himself as one with the Redeemer. If there was disgrace attached to the manner in which he died, he was willing to share it with him. He regarded it as a matter to be greatly desired to be made just like Christ in all things, and even in the manner of his death. This idea he has more fully expressed in Phi 3:10, “That I may know him, (that is, I desire earnestly to know him,) and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” see also Col 1:24; compare 1Pe 4:13.

Nevertheless I live - This expression is added, as in Gal 2:19, to prevent the possibility of mistake. Paul, though he was crucified with Christ, did not wish to be understood that he felt himself to be dead. He was not inactive; not insensible, as the dead are, to the appeals which are made from God, or to the great objects which ought to interest an immortal mind. He was still actively employed, and the more so from the fact that he was crucified with Christ. The object of all such expressions as this is, to show that it was no design of the gospel to make people inactive, or to annihilate their energies. It was not to cause people to do nothing. It was not to paralyze their powers, or stifle their own efforts. Paul, therefore, says, “I am not dead. I am truly alive; and I live a better life than I did before.” Paul was as active after conversion as he was before. Before, he was engaged in persecution; now, he devoted his great talents with as much energy, and with as untiring zeal, to the cause of the great Redeemer. Indeed, the whole narrative would lead us to suppose that he was more active and zealous after his conversion than he was before. The effect of religion is not to make one dead in regard to the putting forth of the energies of the soul. True religion never made one lazy man; it has converted many a man of indolence, and effeminacy and self-indulgence to a man actively engaged in doing good. If a professor of religion is less active in the service at God than he was in the service of the world; less laborious, and zealous. and ardent than he was before his supposed conversion, he ought to set it down as full proof that he is an utter stranger to true religion.

Yet not I - This is also designed to prevent misapprehension. In the previous clause he had said that he lived, or was actively engaged. But lest this should he misunderstood, and it should be inferred that he meant to say it was by his own energy or powers, he guards it, and says it was not at all from himself. It was by no native tendency; no power of his own; nothing that could be traced to himself. He assumed no credit for any zeal which he had shown in the true life. He was disposed to trace it all to another. He had ample proof in his past experience that there was no tendency in himself to a life of true religion, and he therefore traced it all to another.

Christ liveth in me - Christ was the source of all the life that he had. Of course this cannot be taken literally that Christ had a residence in the apostle, but it must mean that his grace resided in him; that his principles actuated him: and that he derived all his energy, and zeal, and life from his grace. The union between the Lord Jesus and the disciple was so close that it might be said the one lived in the other. So the juices of the vine are in each branch, and leaf, and tendril, and live in them and animate them; the vital energy of the brain is in each delicate nerve - no matter how small - that is found in any part of the human frame. Christ was in him as it were the vital principle. All his life and energy were derived from him.

And the life which I now live in the flesh - As I now live on the earth surrounded by the cares and anxieties of this life. I carry the life-giving principles of my religion to all my duties and all my trials.

I live by the faith of the Son of God - By confidence in the Son of God, looking to him for strength, and trusting in his promises, and in his grace. Who loved me, etc. He felt under the highest obligation to him from the fact that he had loved him, and given himself to the death of the cross in his behalf. The conviction of obligation on this account Paul often expresses; see the Rom 6:8-11; 8:35-39 notes; 2Co 5:15 note. There is no higher sense of obligation than that which is felt toward the Saviour; and Paul felt himself bound, as we should, to live entirely to him who had redeemed him by his blood.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

This Epistle is much of the same nature with that to the Romans, and the substance of what the apostle saith in the latter part of this chapter, agreeth much with Rom 6:1-23; where we find an expression much like to this, Gal 2:6; Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

I am (saith the apostle) crucified with Christ; not only by justification made partaker of the benefits coming by a Christ crucified, but also as having communion with the death of Christ, in the mortification of my lusts. A figure of which (as he informs us, Rom 6:4) we have in baptism, buried with him by baptism into death.

Nevertheless I live; yet (saith he) I live a holy, spiritual life; though dead to the law, and though crucified with Christ.

Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; but I cannot say so properly that it is I, for my motions are not according to my natural propensions and inclinations; but Christ, by his Spirit, liveth in me, having renewed and changed me, made me a new creature, and begot new motions and inclinations in me. And though I live in the flesh, yet I live by the faith of the Son of God; all my natural, moral, and civil actions, being principled in faith, and done according to the guidance of the rule of faith in Jesus Christ.

Who loved me, and gave himself for me; of whom I am persuaded that he loved me, and from that love gave himself to die upon the cross for me.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. Taking refuge from the law with Christ, I am identified, and so crucified, with him. Christ died from sin, and I die to sin.

Liveth in me— Is the life of my life.

Live… in the flesh—Has a deeper life, which is Christ.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This verse brings out into fuller detail the several points bound up in the succinct statement of ver. 19. I am crucified with Christ (Cristw sunestaurwmai); I have been crucified with Christ. I am on the cross, fastened thereto with Christ; the object, therefore, with him of the Law"s abhorrence and anathema. If we ask, how and when he became thus blended with Christ in his crucifixion, we have the answer suggested by himself in Rom_6:3, Rom_6:6, "Are ye ignorant, that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? our old man was crucified with him?" It was by believing in Christ and being baptized into him; comp. Gal_3:27, "All ye who were baptized into Christ did put on Christ words which have to be taken in connection with the reference to "faith in Christ" in ver. 26. The perfect tense of the verb sunestaurwmai points to a continued state of being, following upon that decisive crisis of his life; the apostle images himself as still hanging on the cross with Christ, while also sharing in his resurrection-life; his "old man" is on the cross, while his spirit partakes in and is renewed by Christ"s life in God. (Rom_6:6, Rom_6:8, Rom_6:11) The pragmatism of the passage, however, that is, its relevancy to the subject discussed by him with St. Peter, consists in the twofold statement:

(1) that the Law as a ceremonial institute has now nothing to do with him nor he with it, except as mutually proclaiming their entire disseverment the one from the other; and

(2) that nevertheless, while thus wholly apart from the Law, he has life in God, as he further proceeds to declare. Nevertheless I live (zw de). Notwithstanding all the Law"s anathema, I am alive unto God (comp., (Rom_6:11) the object of his love, and an heir of his eternal life. With this exalted blessedness of mine the Law cannot in the slightest degree meddle, by any determination which it will fain propound of cleanness or uncleanness. No ceremonial pollution of its constituting can touch this my life. My own life and my fellow-believer"s life in God is infinitely removed from the possibility of receiving taint of pollution through eating (say) of blood, or suet, or pork, or through touching a leper or the remains of a deceased man. Nothing of this kind can mar or stain my righteousness or my fellow-believer"s righteousness. Both he and I, sharing in the like "life" and righteousness, rejoice and exult together; let the Law denounce us for unclean as loudly and as bitterly as it will. Nay, if I were to allow myself to be disquieted by any such denouncement of pollution, I should, in fact, be allowing myself to harbour misgivings and unbelief touching the very essence of the grace of Jesus Christ. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me (oujk eti ejgw zh de ejn ejmoiv); and yet no longer I, but Christ liveth in me. It was essential to the apostle"s argument that he should assert himself to be, in spite of the Law"s anathema, "alive," in the full possession of life in God; but he hastens to qualify this assertion by explaining how entirely he owes this life of his to Christ; and, in his eagerness to do this, he compresses the assertion and the qualification in one clause so closely together as, in a way not at all unusual with him, well-nigh to wreck the grammatical construction. A method, indeed, has been proposed by critics of disposing this clause with respect to the preceding in such a manner as to make the sentence run quite smoothly; thus: Zw deti ajgw zh de ejn ejmoiv: that is, as given in the margin of the Revised English Version, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me." But not only does this method of construing altogether efface the apostle"s assertion of his being alive notwithstanding the Law"s malediction an assertion which agrees so thoroughly with the defiant tone of the argument, but the abruptness of the construction as presented in the ordinary reading of the passage is its very recommendation; for such uncouthness of style is wont to show itself in St. Paul"s more eager, impassioned passages. "No longer I;" as in those old days when I prided myself on being an especial favourite of Heaven, eminently righteous through meritorious doings of my own, through my punctilious observance in particular of all that the Law prescribes for gaining and maintaining ceremonial sanctity. (comp. Php_3:4, 6) "In those days it was I that was alive; it is not so now." The ejgw ezwn, "I was alive," of Rom_7:9, serves again as a perfect illustration of the phraseology of the present passage; only we have still to bear in mind that the apostle is at present contemplating the ceremonial aspect of his old life, rather than, as in the Romans, the moral; the two being no doubt, however, in his former Pharisee scheme of religion, essentially conjoined. The in-being of Christ is to be understood as blending in one the two notions, of Christ as the ground of our acceptableness before God and of our being alive unto God, and of Christ as the motive spring of true practical well-doing. (Rom_8:10) The two things, though notionally distinct, cannot exist apart, but the former is the more prominent idea here. And the life which I now live in the flesh (o de). "Life" still denotes his spiritual state of being, and not his moral activity, though by inference in-relying this latter; as if it were "the life which I now possess." The construction of o zw is paralleled by the o ajpeqane, "the death that he died, he died," and the o zh, "the life that he liveth, he liveth," ofstei Rom_6:10. "Now," as well as "no longer," stands in contrast with his old life in Judaism. But, on the other hand, "in the flesh," viewed in conjunction with (ejn pi) "in faith," or "by faith," must be taken as in Php_1:22, that is, as contrasted with the future life; while we are in the flesh "we walk by faith, not by sight". (2Co_5:7) I live by the faith of the Son of God (ejn pistei zw th tou uiJou tou Qeou); I live by faith, the faith which is in the Son of God. By faith, not by works of the Levitical Law. It was by faith in Christ that I first became partaker of this life; it is by faith in Christ that I continue to partake of it; letting go my faith in Christ, I partake of the life no longer. The especial relevancy of this statement of the apostle"s, whether with respect to the matters agitated at Antioch, or with respect to any such revival of Levitical notions of acceptableness with God as was now perplexing the Churchmen of Galatia, is the warning which it implicitly conveys that, to revert to Levitical notions of uncleanness or of righteousness, was to sin against faith in Christ, and therewith against the very essence of a Christian"s spiritual life. It was the strong sense which the apostle had of the absolutely fatal tendency of such relapses towards Judaism that inspired the deep pathos which here tinges his language. Hence the magnificent title by which he recites Christ"s personality, "the Son of God;" possessing as such an absolutely commanding claim to his people"s adherence, which they dare not decline. Hence, too, the words which follow. Who loved me, and gave himself for me (tou ajgaphsantov me kaintov eJauton uJper ejmou); who loved me, and gave himself up for me. Fain would the reader realize to his mind the fervid, thrilling tones and accent of voice in which the apostle, while uttering these words, would give vent to the sentiment which so powerfully swayed his whole life, and which he so vividly describes in writing to the Corinthians: "The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died namely, to all but him. and he died fur all, that they which live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again". (2Co_5:14, 2Co_5:15) The same appropriation of Christ"s love to his own individual self which the apostle here gives utterance to, "who loved me, and gave himself up for me," may every human creature also express in whom only is the faith which takes hold of his love. In fact, the apostle speaks thus for the very purpose of prompting every individual believer who hears him to feel and say the same. This, he indicates, should be their feeling just as much as his; a sentiment just as irresistibly regulative of their life. Why not? Do they not also owe to him all their hope on behalf of their souls? For the expression, "gave himself up," comp. ntov Gal_1:4 and note. The Greek verb parado is distinguished from the simple dontov, "gave himself," by its bringing more distinctly into view the notion of Christ"s giving himself over into the hands of those who sought his life.

Fellowship with Christ in his death and in his life.

have been crucified: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." The apostle is showing how he died to the Law and became released from legal bondage; it was through his becoming a partaker of the death of Christ.

2. FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST IN HIS DEATH. "I have been crucified with Christ.

1. Here is a true identity of position. I was one with him under Law and in suffering and death, so that when he died I died with him. I died in him when he died as my surety, satisfying Divine justice for me. Thus baptism for me signifies "baptism unto his death"; (Rom_6:4) "We are buried with him in baptism unto death." We are "planted in the likeness of his death." All this purports the interest of the believer in the merit of Christ"s death.

2. It is a position involving a threefold change of relation.

(1) "As crucified with Christ," I become dead to the Law, so that the Law shall no more become "an occasion of sin". (Rom_7:5, Rom_7:6)

(2) I become dead unto sin, and therefore no more the servant of sin. (Rom_6:6-16)

(3) I become dead to the world, and the world to me. (Gal_6:14)

II FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST IN HIS LIFE. "Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." This a mystery to the world. The apostle is dead and is yet alive.

1. Our death with Christ involves our life with him. "If we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him". (Rom_6:8) It is thus we realize "the power of his resurrection". (Php_3:10) Thus "we shall live with him by the power of God". (2Co_13:4)

2. It is not a life which has its root in the apostle v himself. "Yet not I" We are by nature "dead", (Eph_2:1) and cannot quicken ourselves. Our life is no natural principle. Neither can we sustain this life nor prolong its existence. This fact explains at once the backslidings, the fears, and the unfruitfulness of believers.

3. Christ is the very life of the soul. "Christ liveth in me.

(1) He is the substance as well as the source of that life. "Because I live ye shall live also"; (Joh_14:19) "Christ, who is our life"; (Col_3:4) "He that hath the Son hath life". (1Jn_5:12)

(2) This life is in virtue of a union with him produced by the Holy Spirit. Thus we become "one spirit" with him.

(3) Christ is the cause of its continuance (Eph_4:15, Eph_4:16; (Joh_15:1-8; 7:48).

4. The blessed fruits of this life.

(1) It is an absolutely secure life. The life is not in the believer"s own keeping.

(2) It involves a near relationship to Christ. (Joh_15:6)

(3) It is the life at once of earth and of heaven.

5. It is a life of which the apostle was fully conscious. He does not say, "I am elected," or "I am justified," but "I live." He speaks the language of happy assurance. He knows he is spiritually alive. His confession is a rebuke to those who doubt the possibility of attaining to the "full assurance of hope.

The nature and conditions of Christian life.

life which I now live in the flesh I live in the faith of the San of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

I THE NATURE OF THIS LIFE. There is a mystery surrounding the origin of all life. There is mystery, too, in regeneration. (Joh_3:8) Yet spiritual life is due to the quickening power of the Holy Spirit, through the Word, "making all things new." The first effect of regeneration is faith; and the life thus begun is sustained by the indwelling of the same Spirit through all the stages of a sanctified experience, till it shares in the glorified life of the Redeemer in heaven.

II THE CONDITION OF THIS LIFE IT IS LIFE "IN THE FLESH." That is, in the body. All life physical, intellectual, moral is exposed to risk of some sort. Frost or lightning may blight flower or tree; disease may undermine animal life; madness may attack intellectual life. So Christian life is exposed to many risks, simply because it is life "in the flesh," that is, in a body with passions and appetites prone to evil, and in a world with many seductions that appeal to the senses. Yet we must not regard the body with ascetic aversion, as if it were the sole cause of the soul"s embarrassments. It is God"s wonderful workmanship; it is the temple of the Holy Ghost, to be kept free from defilement; and it is and ought to be the willing servant of the immortal spirit in all the various activities of Christian life.

III THE MEDIUM OF CHRISTIAN LIFE FAITH. Faith is not merely the instrument of our justification, but the root-principle of our life. It is the principle which maintains this life in its constant exercise. We "live by faith;" we "walk by faith;" we "stand by faith;" we "overcome by faith;" we are "sanctified by faith; :"we are "kept by faith" through the power of God unto the final salvation. As the principle which unites the soul and the Saviour, it is the conduit which carries the mighty supplies of grace into the soul.

IV THE EXTERNAL SUPPORT OR NURTURE OF THIS LIFE. "The Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

1. All life finds its nurture or support in sources external to itself, which it assimilates to its own inner growth. So it is in the animal and the vegetable worlds. Thus the soul finds its support in the Bread of life who came down from heaven. It is not faith that supports this life. Faith is nothing apart from its object.

1. It is not the Son of God; merely who is the support of this life. He might be only "Guide, Philosopher, and Friend," as in Socinian theology; but our life could find no adequate fulcrum or paint of support in the Son of God thus regarded. The apostle emphasizes

1. the love and

2. the sacrifice of Christ, "who gave himself for me.

He is no Saviour to me unless he is my High Priest, my Substitute, my Surety.

V THE APOSTLE"S ASSURANCE OF HIS PERSONAL INTEREST IN CHRIST"S WORK. He does not use terms of generality, such as "he gave himself for us," but "for me." Thus he added assurance to his faith.

VI THE LIFE IN QUESTION IS DESIGNED TO BE MANIFEST. It is life to be lived. "The life which I now live in the flesh." Life may be secret in its origin, but it comes forth into visible display. We cannot see the life of the tiny seed-grain cast by the husbandman into the ground, but it gradually makes its way to the surface through all obstacles. Thus our life is to be an open life. We are not to "hide our light under a bushel;" we are not to bury our talent in the ground; but as "ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." It is the duty of the saints to be witnesses to the Lord; it is their privilege to glorify him; it is their glory to reflect the image of his blessed character.

Crucified with Christ.

St. Paul"s Christianity was identification of the Christian with Christ. It was not merely believing a scheme of doctrine, nor following a certain course of devotion, nor accepting an offered grace. It was absolute union with Christ in spiritual experience. Nothing is more characteristic of the apostle than the way in which, in almost every Epistle, he describes the Christian life as going step by step with the life of Christ from the earthly humiliation and death to the heavenly triumph. Here the most essential elements of that experience are pointed out, and the secret of them declared.

I THE ESSENTIAL CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.

1. Crucifixion with Christ. This is no figure of speech, meaning only that, inasmuch as Christ died for us, we may be said to have been crucified representatively in him. The passionate earnestness of St. Paul in describing his own spiritual renewal goes far beyond any such shallow conception. He is plainly describing what he really endured.

(1) This is death. The old life is killed out. The passions, lusts, habits, and associations of the life in sin, self, and worldliness are mortified. Christianity is not simply educational. It is first of all militant purging, scourging, killing.

(2) This is crucifixion a painful, violent death; for it is no light matter to destroy the life in sin, so full of pleasant attractions, and so deeply rooted in our inmost nature and a judicial execution, wrought on us by the vindictive powers of our own treacherous passions when once we turn from them to faith in Christ.

(3) This is a crucifixion with Christ. Our union with Christ necessitates this death of the old life and brings it about. The new wine bursts the old bottles. Conscience and Law fail to destroy the old life, though they reveal its hideous deformity. But when we come to Calvary and reach out to the dying Christ, entering into his experience by faith and vivid sympathy, the old self receives its mortal wounds. Then we can live the former life no longer.

2. Christ living in us. St. Paul feels that he has so given himself up to Christ that the ruling power in him is no longer self but Christ. This is true Christianity.

(1) It is life. We die that we may live. We begin with mortifying the old life, but we do not continue to exist in a barren asceticism. New energies spring up from the grave of the old life.

(2) This life is Christ"s. It derives its power from Christ, it is swayed by the will of Christ, it seeks the ends of Christ, it breathes the spirit of Christ, it is lived in personal communion with Christ. Selfish aims and self-devised resources are gone, and in their place the grace of Christ is the inspiration, and the mind and will of Christ are the controlling influences of the new life. This is not a future possibility, but a present attainment. The life is now lived in the flesh.

II THE SECRET Of THIS EXPERIENCE.

1. It is realized through faith. St. Paul lives "in faith." The power of Christ to destroy the old life and live himself in us depends on our faith in him, and is exercised just in proportion as we yield ourselves to him in trustful reliance and loyal obedience. No fate will make it ours, no mechanical influence will secure it. Intelligently, voluntarily, we must exercise faith in him to be joined to him in crucifixion and new life. Faith is always the greatest bond of union.

2. It is determined by the love and sacrifice of Christ. Here is the motive for our faith. The love of Christ constrains us. The gift of himself for us reveals and confirms his love and brings it home to our hearts. The explanation of the revolution in St. Paul"s life, of the death of the persecutor, and the creation of the apostle, is his coming under the influence of these truths. To enjoy the same experience we must

(1) fix our thoughts on the same great, wonderful love and sacrifice of Christ; and

(2) appropriate them personally to ourselves. "He loved me," etc. W.F.A.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Apostle goes on to describe how he is freed from sin; how far he is from continuing therein. I am crucified with Christ - Made conformable to his death; "the body of sin is destroyed." Rom. vi, 6. And I - As to my corrupt nature. Live no longer - Being dead to sin. But Christ liveth in me - Is a fountain of life in my inmost soul, from which all my tempers, words, and actions flow. And the life that I now live in the flesh - Even in this mortal body, I live by faith in the Son of God - I derive every moment from that supernatural principle; from a divine evidence and conviction, that "he loved me, and delivered up himself for me."

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

VERSE 20. I am crucified with Christ.

Christ is Lord over the Law, because He was crucified unto the Law. I also am lord over the Law, because by faith I am crucified with Christ.

Paul does not here speak of crucifying the flesh, but he speaks of that higher crucifying wherein sin, devil, and death are crucified in Christ and in me. By my faith in Christ I am crucified with Christ. Hence these evils are crucified and dead unto me.

VERSE 20. Nevertheless I live.

"I do not mean to create the impression as though I did not live before this. But in reality I first live now, now that I have been delivered from the Law, from sin, and death. Being crucified with Christ and dead unto the Law, I may now rise unto a new and better life."

We must pay close attention to Paul’s way of speaking. He says that we are crucified and dead unto the Law. The fact is, the Law is crucified and dead unto us. Paul purposely speaks that way in order to increase the portion of our comfort.

VERSE 20. Yet not I.

Paul explains what constitutes true Christian righteousness. True Christian righteousness is the righteousness of Christ who lives in us. We must look away from our own person. Christ and my conscience must become one, so that I can see nothing else but Christ crucified and raised from the dead for me. If I keep on looking at myself, I am gone.

If we lose sight of Christ and begin to consider our past, we simply go to pieces. We must turn our eyes to the brazen serpent, Christ crucified, and believe with all our heart that He is our righteousness and our life. For Christ, on whom our eyes are fixed, in whom we live, who lives in us, is Lord over Law, sin, death, and all evil.

VERSE 20. But Christ liveth in me.

"Thus I live," the Apostle starts out. But presently he corrects himself, saying, "Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." He is the form of my perfection. He embellishes my faith.

Since Christ is now living in me, He abolishes the Law, condemns sin, and destroys death in me. These foes vanish in His presence. Christ abiding in me drives out every evil. This union with Christ delivers me from the demands of the Law, and separates me from my sinful self. As long as I abide in Christ, nothing can hurt me.

Christ domiciling in me, the old Adam has to stay outside and remain subject to the Law. Think what grace, righteousness, life, peace, and salvation there is in me, thanks to that inseparable conjunction between Christ and me through faith!

Paul has a peculiar style, a celestial way of speaking. "I live," he says, "I live not; I am dead, I am not dead; I am a sinner, I am not a sinner; I have the Law, I have no Law." When we look at ourselves we find plenty of sin. But when we look at Christ, we have no sin. Whenever we separate the person of Christ from our own person, we live under the Law and not in Christ; we are condemned by the Law, dead before God.

Faith connects you so intimately with Christ, that He and you become as it were one person. As such you may boldly say: "I am now one with Christ. Therefore Christ’s righteousness, victory, and life are mine." On the other hand, Christ may say: "I am that big sinner. His sins and his death are mine, because he is joined to me, and I to him."

Whenever remission of sins is freely proclaimed, people misinterpret it according to Rom 3:8, "Let us do evil, that good may come." As soon as people hear that we are not justified by the Law, they reason maliciously: "Why, then let us reject the Law. If grace abounds, where sin abounds, let us abound in sin, that grace may all the more abound." People who reason thus are reckless. They make sport of the Scriptures and slander the sayings of the Holy Ghost.

However, there are others who are not malicious, only weak, who may take offense when told that Law and good works are unnecessary for salvation. These must be instructed as to why good works do not justify, and from what motives good works must be done. Good works are not the cause, but the fruit of righteousness. When we have become righteous, then first are we able and willing to do good. The tree makes the apple; the apple does not make the tree.

VERSE 20. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.

Paul does not deny the fact that he is living in the flesh. He performs the natural functions of the flesh. But he says that this is not his real life. His life in the flesh is not a life after the flesh.

"I live by the faith of the Son of God," he says. "My speech is no longer directed by the flesh, but by the Holy Ghost. My sight is no longer governed by the flesh, but by the Holy Ghost. My hearing is no longer determined by the flesh, but by the Holy Ghost. I cannot teach, write, pray, or give thanks without the instrumentality of the flesh; yet these activities do not proceed from the flesh, but from God."

A Christian uses earthly means like any unbeliever. Outwardly they look alike. Nevertheless there is a great difference between them. I may live in the flesh, but I do not live after the flesh. I do my living now "by the faith of the Son of God." Paul had the same voice, the same tongue, before and after his conversion. Before his conversion his tongue uttered blasphemies. But after his conversion his tongue spoke a spiritual, heavenly language.

We may now understand how spiritual life originates. It enters the heart by faith. Christ reigns in the heart with His Holy Spirit, who sees, hears, speaks, works, suffers, and does all things in and through us over the protest and the resistance of the flesh.

VERSE 20. Who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The sophistical papists assert that a person is able by natural strength to love God long before grace has entered his heart, and to perform works of real merit. They believe they are able to fulfill the commandments of God. They believe they are able to do more than God expects of them, so that they are in a position to sell their superfluous merits to laymen, thereby saving themselves and others. They are saving nobody. On the contrary, they abolish the Gospel, they deride, deny, and blaspheme Christ, and call upon themselves the wrath of God. This is what they get for living in their own righteousness, and not in the faith of the Son of God.

The papists will tell you to do the best you can, and God will give you His grace. They have a rhyme for it:

"God will no more require of man, Than of himself perform he can."

This may hold true in ordinary civic life. But the papists apply it to the spiritual realm where a person can perform nothing but sin, because he is sold under sin.

Our opponents go even further than that. They say, nature is depraved, but the qualities of nature are untainted. Again we say: This may hold true in everyday life, but not in the spiritual life. In spiritual matters a person is by nature full of darkness, error, ignorance, malice, and perverseness in will and in mind.

In view of this, Paul declares that Christ began and not we. "He loved me, and gave Himself for me. He found in me no right mind and no good will. But the good Lord had mercy upon me. Out of pure kindness He loved me, loved me so that He gave Himself for me, that I should be free from the Law, from sin, devil, and death."

The words, "The Son of God who loved me, and gave Himself for me," are so many thunderclaps and lightning bolts of protest from heaven against the righteousness of the Law. The wickedness, error, darkness, ignorance in my mind and my will were so great, that it was quite impossible for me to be saved by any other means than by the inestimable price of Christ’s death.

Let us count the price. When you hear that such an enormous price was paid for you, will you still come along with your cowl, your shaven pate, your chastity, your obedience, your poverty, your works, your merits? What do you want with all these trappings? What good are the works of all men, and all the pains of the martyrs, in comparison with the pains of the Son of God dying on the Cross, so that there was not a drop of His precious blood, but it was all shed for your sins. If you could properly evaluate this incomparable price, you would throw all your ceremonies, vows, works, and merits into the ash can. What awful presumption to imagine that there is any work good enough to pacify God, when to pacify God required the invaluable price of the death and blood of His own and only Son?

VERSE 20. For me.

Who is this "me"? I, wretched and damnable sinner, dearly beloved of the Son of God. If I could by work or merit love the Son of God and come to Him, why should He have sacrificed Himself for me ? This shows how the papists ignore the Scriptures, particularly the doctrine of faith. If they had paid any attention at all to these words, that it was absolutely necessary for the Son of God to be given into death for me, they would never have invented so many hideous heresies.

I always say, there is no remedy against the sects, no power to resist them, except this article of Christian righteousness. If we lose this article we shall never be able to combat errors or sects. What business have they to make such a fuss about works or merits? If I, a condemned sinner, could have been purchased and redeemed by any other price, why should the Son of God have given Himself for me? Just because there was no other price in heaven and on earth big and good enough, was it necessary for the Son of God to be delivered for me. This He did out of His great love for me, for the Apostle says, "Who loved me."

Did the Law ever love me? Did the Law ever sacrifice itself for me? Did the Law ever die for me? On the contrary, it accuses me, it frightens me, it drives me crazy. Somebody else saved me from the Law, from sin and death unto eternal life. That Somebody is the Son of God, to whom be praise and glory forever.

Hence, Christ is no Moses, no tyrant, no lawgiver, but the Giver of grace, the Savior, full of mercy. In short, He is no less than infinite mercy and ineffable goodness, bountifully giving Himself for us. Visualize Christ in these His true colors. I do not say that it is easy. Even in the present diffusion of the Gospel light, I have much trouble to see Christ as Paul portrays Him. So deeply has the diseased opinion that Christ is a lawgiver sunk into my bones. You younger men are a good deal better off than we who are old. You have never become infected with the nefarious errors on which I suckled all my youth, until at the mention of the name of Christ I shivered with fear. You, I say, who are young may learn to know Christ in all His sweetness.

For Christ is Joy and Sweetness to a broken heart. Christ is a Lover of poor sinners, and such a Lover that He gave Himself for us. Now if this is true, and it is true, then are we never justified by our own righteousness.

Read the words "me" and "for me" with great emphasis. Print this "me" with capital letters in your heart, and do not ever doubt that you belong to the number of those who are meant by this "me." Christ did not only love Peter and Paul. The same love He felt for them He feels for us. If we cannot deny that we are sinners, we cannot deny that Christ died for our sins.

Martin Luther — Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians (1535), English translation by Theodore Graebner (Zondervan, 1939) — public domain (U.S. copyright not renewed). Text from a community e-Sword module.

not I

See note, (See Scofield "Eph 4:24").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Several things are here observable, St. Paul’s spiritual death declared, and his spiritual life described, together with the author and instrument of it.

Observe, 1. St. Paul’s spiritual death, I am crucified with Christ; that is, with Christ I am dead to the law (in the manner mentioned in the foregoing verse) dead to sin, and dead to the world.

Learn hence, that all true believers are crucified with Christ Jesus; or that all justified persons have fellowship with Christ in his death: They have fellowship with him,

1. In the merit and value of his death; they are ransomed by it, as a price paid down to the justice of God for them.

2. In the virtue and efficacy of his death; which doth not only merit pardon for us, but mortifies sin in us: Our old man is crucified; that is, the power of sin is subdued in us.

3. A justified person hath fellowship with Christ, in the likeness and similitude of his death, and that is a crucifixion: As Christ died a painful, shameful, lingering, and accursed death for him, so doth sin die painfully, shamefully, and gradually in him: They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts, Gal 5:24.

Observe, 2. St. Paul’s spiritual life described, I live, yet not I, but Christ in me.

Learn hence, that a crucified Christian is a living Christian; I am crucified, nevertheless I live; a life of justification and sanctification at present, in hope of, and as an earnest for, a life of glorification to come.

Yet, observe, 3. How the apostle corrects, or rather explains himself, after what mind, and in what manner he lives; he denies himself to be the author and root of his own life; and declares Christ to be both. I live, yet not I, but Christ in me. Christ is both the author and efficient cause, the exemplary cause, the end or final cause of the Christian’s life; a living Christian lives not himself, but Christ lives in him.

Observe, 4. As the author of the Christian’s spiritual life, Christ; so the instrument of it, and that is faith: The life which I live in the flesh, that is, the spiritual life which I live as a Christian here in the world, I live by faith in the Son of God; my life of justification, is by faith in his blood; my life of sanctification and consolation, is through faith, in and by influences derived from his holy Spirit.

Observe, 5. How the apostle appropriates to himself in particular, what Christ had done for all believers in general; He loved me and gave himself for me.

Where note, though a firm persuasion, and a full assurance of Christ’s special love to ourselves, and his dying for us in particular, is not of the essence and being of justifying and saying faith, yet it is attainable without an extraordinary revelation; and, as such, every sincere Christian ought to aim at it, to labour and endeavour after it.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. [If, as I say, I follow your course, Peter, and abandon and seek to destroy the law because it does not justify me, and, failing to be justified anywhere else, I return to and again build up the law, I prove myself to be a hopeless, unjustified sinner. But I am no such self-convicted transgressor; for I, following my own course, was, by the agency of the law acting as my schoolmaster ( Gal_3:24 ), led to die to the law, thus utterly abandoning it, that I might live unto God ( Rom_7:1-6 ). And seeking refuge from the law, I have identified myself with Christ, and in him I have died to the law, for I have been crucified with Christ; and thus it is no longer I, Paul, the law-condemned Jew, that lives, but Christ, the righteous, the justified, liveth in me. And that life I now live in the flesh is thus merged in and identified with Christ by faith--faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me, dying to fulfill the sentence of the law in my stead.]

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. I have been crucified with Christ. By faith Paul was crucified at his conversion, crucified in the flesh, died to the old life with Christ. Now he lives, or rather, Christ liveth in him. The old life is laid aside, and the new life is a Christlike life, due to the spirit of Christ. He is now merged in Christ. Live by faith. Faith is the bond that binds him to Christ and enables him to live the new life.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

Son of God

This is an important title for Jesus. (See: Translating Son and Father)

I do not set aside

Paul states a negative to emphasize the positive. AT: "I confirm the value of" (See: Litotes)

if righteousness could be gained through the law, then Christ died for nothing

Paul is describing a situation that never existed. (See: Hypothetical Situations)

if righteousness could be gained through the law

"if people could become righteous by obeying the law"

then Christ died for nothing

"then Christ would have accomplished nothing by dying"

translationWords

crucify

Christ

life

flesh

faith

Son of God

love

grace

God

righteous

law

die

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

I am crucified with Christ [χριστω συνεσταυρωμαι] . This compound verb is used by Paul only here and Rom 6:6. In the gospels, Mt 27:44; Mr 14:32; Joh 19:32. The statement explains how a believer dies to the law by means of the law itself. In the crucifixion of Christ as one accursed, the demand of the law was met (see Gal 3:13). Ethically, a believer is crucified with Christ (Rom 6:3 - 11; Phi 3:10; 1Co 14:31; 2Co 4:10), and thus the demand of the law is fulfilled in him likewise. Paul means that, "owing to his connection with the crucified, he was like him, legally impure, and was thus an outcast from the Jewish church." 54 He became dead to the law by the law 's own act. Of course a Jew would have answered that Christ was justly crucified. He would have said : "If you broke with the law because of your fellowship with Christ, it proved that both he and you were transgressors." But Paul is addressing Peter, who, in common with himself, believed on Christ (verse 16).

I live; yet not I [ζω δε ουκετι εγω] . The semicolon after live in A. V. and Rev. should be removed. Rend : and it is no longer I that live, but Christ, etc. The new life of Christ followed his crucifixion, Rom 6:9 - 11. He who is crucified with Christ repeats this experience. He rises with Christ and shares his resurrection - life. The old man is crucified with Christ, and Christ is in him as the principle of his new life, Romans 4 - 11. 55 I now live. Emphasis on nun now, since the beginning of my Christian life, with an implied contrast with the life in the flesh before he was crucified with Christ. Then, the I was the center and impulse of life. Now, it is no longer I, but Christ in me.

By the faith of the Son of God [εν πιστει τη του υιου του θεου] . Better, as Rev., in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God. Thus the defining and explicative force of the article th after pistei is brought out. In faith is better than by faith, although ejn is sometimes used instrumentally. In corresponds better with ejn sarki in the flesh. It exhibits faith as the element in which the new life is lived.

And gave himself [και παραδοντος εαυτον] . Kai and has an explanatory force : loved me, and, as a proof of his love, gave himself. For paradontov gave, see on was delivered, Rom 4:25.

"For God more bounteous was himself to give To make man able to uplift himself, Than if he only of himself had pardoned." Dante, Paradiso, 7 115 - 117 For me [υπερ εμου] . See on for the ungodly, Rom 5:6.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.