The Key to Victorious Living – Galatians 2:20-21

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.   The life I 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 could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
– Galatians 2:20-21

The Key to Victorious Living
Can you remember back when you first became a Christian?  If you were like me, you were so enthusiastic about your new life that you would have laid claim to being willing to be right there with Jesus, taking every lash of the whip, enduring every thorn as it was being pressed down upon your head, and ultimately hanging on the cross . . . in fact, willing to hang with Christ on the opposite side of the same cross!  Yeah . . . Peter claimed the same thing – until the time came where it was actually a possibility.  How quickly we can change the tune we are singing when adversity smacks us right between the eyes.

It's easy to be a Christian when things are going great – especially in this country, where we have an abundance of luxuries and we can choose where and how we want to worship.  I've often fantasized that I was on the front lines of "life-and-death/in-the-jungles of evil" evangelism, standing firm in my faith and shielding the unfortunate peasants from the on-rushing rebels (oh the stories that would be written).  Then I remember that I am still anxiously afraid to go downtown and share my faith with a stranger!  Earth to Richard . . . time to come back to reality!

The good news is that God knows our weaknesses, and He knew that we would need a Savior, so . . . He sent Jesus, who willingly, and with much love, and forgiveness, accepted His role in the reconciliation of all God's children.  He knew what He was walking into, and He even had 32 years to try to get out of it, but His love for us was (and still is), so strong, that He took every taunt, and jeer, and slap, and spit, and lash, and thorn, and nail, until He died – but that's where the real story begins!

Because Jesus died, we, who are called by His name, are alive!  We have Christ IN us.  We have the secret of the power of the universe coursing through our veins!  We ARE victorious Conquerors because of the new life we have been given!  But here's the rub . . . we must CHOOSE to take advantage of everything that Christ is.  In order to be victorious we have to choose to live victoriously.  In order to conquer our demons, we must choose to put on the armor of Christ and to live as conquerors.  In order to realize the power of Christ that each of us has at the mere whisper of His name, we must choose to live by faith in Him.  We must have faith in the fact that by His choosing to go to the cross for us, we, who are called by His name, have the ability to love the unlovable, forgive the unforgivable, move the unmovable, and speak life into those who would oppose us.

We have Christ IN us!  Let's think on that today!  Think about what that really means!  Ask God to show you how to tap into that power – that love – that life . . . in, through, and with, Christ.

Prayer
Father I thank You that You gave us Your Son in order that we might live.  I pray that as I draw closer to Him and to You, that I will be able to increase my faith and start living beyond my own understanding.  I need Your Spirit Lord, to grow beyond the limitations of my simple mind so that I can live in the fullness of the power of Your Son.  I thank You for the work that You are doing in my brothers and sisters and I pray blessing over each one of them as they also draw closer to You. I thank You in advance for the victory that is on the way for each one of them.

Have a blessed day everyone!

–Richard