Morning Thoughts |
Morning Thoughts |
| Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." This morning, man can fall into one of two pitfalls in life. Man may, on the one hand, think too highly of himself, but on the other hand, he may think too lowly of himself. While the first concept is surely the most rampant and manifest, I believe that it is just as egregious for us (as God's children) to do either as both feed the flesh that we have. If one thinks more highly of himself than he ought to think, then he dauntingly defies the doctrine of total depravity. But if, post-regeneration, one thinks more lowly of himself than he ought to think, he denies the complete holiness and righteousness that Christ has imputed to him. It is just as much folly in the flesh to believe that we cannot do something that Christ has commanded us to do, according to the spirit, as it is to believe that we are better than we really are, according to the flesh. While our warfare will never end prior to our death or His return, we have been given the ability to serve Him acceptably in newness of life. Therefore, let us not be found saying either, "I can of mine own self" when our flesh is weak and sinful, or be found saying, "I just can't" when we can do all things through Christ. Paul is, in our verse, in the middle of his correction to the Galatian brethren for neglecting the grace they had received and rejoiced in to go back under the bondage of law service. While the law served a great purpose (schoolmaster to bring us to Christ), we should never look upon it as our hope and peace as that was never its purpose. Paul is shortly going to make a grand declaration in the next verse about the impossibility of law righteousness as that would negate the purpose of the death of Christ. (Galatians 2:21) In our verse, there are many grand themes put forth, but for the space and sake of time, we will regulate our thoughts to only two points found contained therein. At the end of the verse, Paul makes it clear that salvation is a very personal thing. The offering of Christ to God for the sins of His people was not for some nondescript group of persons that were chosen from the handfuls of dust in some haphazard and random fashion. Christ's offering was a personal thing for Him, and Paul deemed the personal nature in his words. Christ, while paying our sin-debt, thought of us personally. Isaiah 53 bears out that His visage (while marred according to the flesh) was wholly set and given to the beautiful end of His people (according to His love). His love for us was so great that while suffering what no man can fathom He saw His seed (us) and saw our days prolonged because the pleasure of the Lord prospered in His hand. He knew exactly who the payment was for, and our end was firmly fixed in His view and precious eye. Paul says that the suffering was for him (Paul). We should look at the suffering and offering as being for us (personally) But, while Paul addresses the personal nature of the love and suffering in our verse, he has already defined what kind of individuals received the benefits of it. In Galatians 1:4, Paul calls the giving of Christ for "our sins" while our verse speaks of the giving of Christ for "me." Paul has just equated our person with our sins. The love of Christ was for the unlovable, and the gift of Christ was for the undeserving. We, in our state and being, equated to sins in the sight of a just and righteous God. Christ's suffering was for sins, and by implication, the persons that were embodied by them. Surely, that thought (equating us with sins) should bring the most fervent humility that the world has ever known. His offering for undeserving creatures as we were brings no feeding to the flesh as that denies the fleshly thought "we are not really so bad after all." Therefore, knowing from this beautiful thought that we are not worthy of thinking highly of ourselves, what fault would there be in putting ourselves down? If we are totally wretched miserable creatures, what fault would there be in constantly "putting ourselves down?" Paul said in the verse that his life was lived in something and by something else. His life was "in the flesh" but "by the faith of the Son of God." There is a great distinction to be made here, for the life in the flesh declares that we cannot escape these old bodies of dust and ruin. While the Scriptures many times speak of "in the flesh" as synonymous with depravity, Paul is here declaring rather that we are literally "in the flesh." This is a condition we cannot escape except through death or Christ's return, but that is no reason to lie down and give up hope. Surely it is beyond question that depravity is fed from the thought of "I am not so bad," but friends, it is fed as well from the thought, "I cannot do that" when Christ has commanded us to. What Christ commands His children, He has already given them the ability to perform. If we are to take unto us the armour of God, we should understand that He has already furnished the armour for our use. We are responsible for putting it on, but He has furnished us everything that we need. When we say, "I just don't know what to do," the answer is that we just have not looked as He has given us a Book that is complete in the instructions that we need. Paul knew that his life would not escape the flesh prior to his decease, but he also knew that while in flesh he could live by faith. Living by faith carries with it the understanding that after all the Lord has done for me, what great thing is it to serve Him? Living by faith understands that there will be many hindrances, but none of these things should move me to fulfill what He has called me to do. Paul made the brethren at Ephesus sad in Acts 20 by telling them that they would see his face no more. Paul asked why they would weep so and break his heart? Paul was ready to die, if need be, for the cause of Christ. What moved Paul was the precious life of the Saviour so willingly and freely given for him. What should move us is the knowledge of the personal sacrifice of the Redeemer for us. The question is not whether we have failed or will fail in the future, but rather, the point is that we should seek to go up higher in our attitude of service and serve Him better in the future than we have in the past. When we fail, we should beg His forgiveness and keep trying. He deserves it as He did not fail and paid to the full. Seeing He deserves that honour and gratitude, may we not shame His work that gave us the ability by saying "I can't," nor let us frustrate the grace of His love by saying, "I can myself." Truly, faith is exercised, but faith understands the source of strength and nourishment. May we be found thinking of ourselves as we should: sinners by nature without a plea, but children of the Highest by grace and favour. A balanced view of self will lead to self-less service borne out of love for One whose love passeth all understanding. In Hope, Bro Philip  |