It Starts Small

 ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Galatians 2:20-21

What should the Galatians do with everything they’ve learned? What about us? The answer is not the tired notion of “sin more so that grace may abound.” No! We are gloriously free! Free from the chains of the Old Testament law, liberated from the misguided belief that we must earn our salvation. We have broken free from the shackles of guilt and despair that come from endless failures. We are now empowered to serve God. We are driven by the profound motivation of our love for Him. Our service is our heartfelt response to His astonishing love for us. We never do this from a desire to earn salvation, which is utterly impossible! Let us never misuse this incredible freedom as a license to sin! Yet, we must remember that true success cannot be achieved through our own strength alone.

We must fervently cling to God’s grace! With His divine strength, we must fiercely crucify our earthly passions, dedicating our lives wholly to Him. When we first approach Christ, we bring our sins, nail them to the cross, and passionately seek forgiveness. Yet, this is not a mere one-time act. We must relentlessly return to the cross. We bring those same sins repeatedly. We must continually seek His mercy and grace!

Consider your life over the past week. What is that one persistent sin that reared its ugly head time and again? Pour your heart out in prayer and earnestly seek God’s forgiveness. With fervor, nail it to the cross once more and let its weight be lifted from your soul.

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Cross References:

• Romans 6:2-6

Questions to Ponder:

• What does it mean to be crucified with Christ? What kind of life do we need to live if we no longer live, but Christ lives in us?
• What should be guiding our new lives?
• How can you live this transformed life for Christ during the upcoming Spring Festival?
• What is Paul’s conclusion in verse 21?

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