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Galatians 2:20 - How God can Turn Your Mess into a Masterpiece.

Galatians 2:20 (NIV) 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.  

Galatians 2:20 (NLT) My old self has been 
crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but 
Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body 
by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and 
gave himself for me. 

COMMENTARY PEARL

   Several years ago, a noted violinist was 
playing a concert to a very prominent crowd. He 
walked out on stage and showed the audience his 
violin. He told them, This violin is a 
Stradivarius, one of the rarest and most valuable violins 
in the world. 
   The violinist then proceeded to play one 
of the most beautiful tunes the audience had 
ever heard on his violin. But after he was 
finished and the crowd had applauded heartily, he 
took that violin and broke it into a thousand 
pieces. 
   A collective gasp could be heard 
throughout the auditorium. So after a few moments of 
silence, that violinist said, That wasnt 
actually a Stradivarius violin. I bought it today at 
a pawn shop for 40 dollars. But I did this to 
make a point: the violinist is much more 
important than the violin. With that, he brought 
out the real Stradivarius and finished his 
concert. 
   Whats true in music is true with 
people. Its not the talent or charisma of people, 
but the one whos making the music that 
matters. I realized long ago that I was just an old 
violin completely inadequate on my own. But in the 
hands of the Master, He can make beautiful music 
in both my life and yours as well! [PowerPoint 
Today by Jack Graham; 
https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/powerpoint/]  

INTRODUCTION

"For to me to live is Christ," he declared. 
This is the most perfect interpretation in a few 
words, in all the Scriptures, of what it means to 
be a Christian. This is the whole truth of the 
gospel. Paul understood what many seem unable to 
comprehend. How intensely in earnest he was! His words 
show that his mind was centered in Christ, that 
his whole life was bound up with his Lord. 
Christ was the author, the support, and the source 
of his life (RH Oct. 19, 1897).  7BC903 

COMMENTARY

   Christ changes the heart. He abides in 
your heart by faith. You are to maintain this 
connection with Christ by faith and the continual 
surrender of your will to Him; and so long as you do 
this, He will work in you to will and to do 
according to His good pleasure...  
   When we speak of faith, there is a 
distinction that should be borne in mind. There is a 
kind of belief that is wholly distinct from 
faith. The existence and power of God, the truth of 
His word, are facts that even Satan and his 
hosts cannot at heart deny. The Bible says that 
"the devils also believe, and tremble;" but this 
is not faith. James 2:19. Where there is not 
only a belief in God's word, but a submission of 
the will to Him; where the heart is yielded to 
Him, the affections fixed upon Him, there is 
faith--faith that works by love and purifies the soul. 
Through this faith the heart is renewed in the image 
of God...  
   There are those who have known the 
pardoning love of Christ and who really desire to be 
children of God, yet they realize that their 
character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they 
are ready to doubt whether their hearts have 
been renewed by the Holy Spirit. To such I would 
say, Do not draw back in despair. We shall often 
have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus 
because of our shortcomings and mistakes, but we are 
not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome 
by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken 
and rejected of God. No; Christ is at the right 
hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 
Said the beloved John, "These things write I unto 
you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have 
an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the 
righteous." 1 John 2:1. And do not forget the words of 
Christ, "The Father Himself loveth you." John 16:27. 
He desires to restore you to Himself, to see 
His own purity and holiness reflected in you. 
And if you will but yield yourself to Him, He 
that hath begun a good work in you will carry it 
forward to the day of Jesus Christ. Pray more 
fervently; believe more fully. As we come to distrust 
our own power, let us trust the power of our 
Redeemer, and we shall praise Him who is the health of 
our countenance. SC62-4 

Human nature is ever struggling for 
expression, ready for contest; but he who learns of 
Christ is emptied of self, of pride, of love of 
supremacy, and there is silence in the soul. Self is 
yielded to the disposal of the Holy Spirit. Then we 
are not anxious to have the highest place. We 
have no ambition to crowd and elbow ourselves 
into notice; but we feel that our highest place 
is at the feet of our Saviour. We look to 
Jesus, waiting for His hand to lead, listening for 
His voice to guide. The apostle Paul had this 
experience, and he said, "I am crucified with Christ: 
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: 
and the life which I now live in the flesh I 
live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved 
me, and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20. 
MB15,16 

'In our daily life,' we must regularly 
crucify sinful desires that keep us from following 
Christ. This too is a kind of dying with him (Luke 
9:23-25). And yet the focus of Christianity is not 
dying, but living... And 'in our daily life,' we 
have Christ's resurrection power as we continue 
to fight sin (Ephes. 1:19, 20). We are no 
longer alone, for Christ lives in us - he is our 
power for living and our hope for the future 
(Colossians 1:27). [Life Application SB] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

Changed from the Inside Out
   When you believe in Christ, Christ works 
a miracle in you. You are permanently purified 
and empowered by God himself. The message of 
Jesus to the religious person is simple: Its 
not what you do. Its what I do. I have moved 
in. And in time you can say with Paul, I 
myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me 
(Gal. 2:20). 
   If Im born again, why do I fall so 
often? 
   Why did you fall so often after your 
first birth? Did you exit the womb wearing 
cross-trainers? Did you do the two-step on the day of your 
delivery? Of course not. And when you started to walk, 
you fell more than you stood. Should we expect 
anything different from our spiritual walk? 
   But I fall so often, I question my 
salvation. Again, we return to your first birth. 
Didnt you stumble as you were learning to walk? 
And when you stumbled, did you question the 
validity of your physical birth? Did you, as a 
one-year-old fresh flopped on the floor, shake your head 
and think, I have fallen again. I must not be 
human? 
   Of course not. The stumbles of a toddler 
do not invalidate the act of birth. And the 
stumbles of a Christian do not annul his spiritual 
birth. 
   Do you understand what God has done? He 
has deposited a Christ seed in you. As it grows, 
you will change. Its not that sin has no more 
presence in your life, but rather that sin has no 
more power over your life. Temptation will pester 
you, but temptation will not master you. What 
hope this brings! 
   Hear this. Its not up to you! Within 
you abides a budding power. Trust him! 
   Think of it this way. Suppose you, for 
most of your life, have had a heart condition. 
Your frail pumper restricts your activities. Each 
morning at work when the healthy employees take the 
stairs, you wait for the elevator. 
   But then comes the transplant. A healthy 
heart is placed within you. After recovery, you 
return to work and encounter the flight of 
stairs"the same flight of stairs you earlier avoided. 
By habit, you start for the elevator. But then 
you remember. You arent the same person. You 
have a new heart. Within you dwells a new power. 
   Do you live like the old person or the 
new? Do you count yourself as having a new heart 
or old? You have a choice to make. 
   You might say, I cant climb stairs; 
Im too weak. Does your choice negate the 
presence of a new heart? Dismiss the work of the 
surgeon? No. Choosing the elevator would suggest only 
one fact"you havent learned to trust your 
new power. 
   It takes time. But at some point youve 
got to try those stairs. Youve got to test 
the new ticker. Youve got to experiment with 
the new you. For if you dont, you will run 
out of steam. 
   Religious rule keeping can sap your 
strength. Its endless. There is always another 
class to attend, Sabbath to obey, Ramadan to 
observe. No prison is as endless as the prison of 
perfection. Her inmates find work but never find peace. 
How could they? They never know when they are 
finished. 
   Christ, however, gifts you with a 
finished work. He fulfilled the law for you. Bid 
farewell to the burden of religion. Gone is the fear 
that having done everything, you might not have 
done enough. You climb the stairs, not by your 
strength, but his. God pledges to help those who stop 
trying to help themselves. 
   He who began a good work in you will 
carry it on to completion until the day of Christ 
Jesus (Phil. 1:6.) God will change you from the 
inside out. [Max Lucado Daily Devotional at 
maxlucado.com] 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Train Your Mind to Remember God
   The Bible tells us to pray all the 
time (1 Thessalonians 5:17 The Message). 
   How is it possible to do this? One way is 
to use breath prayers throughout the day, 
as many Christians have done for centuries. You 
choose a brief sentence or a simple phrase that can 
be repeated to Jesus in one breath: You are 
with me. I receive your grace. Im 
depending on you. I want to know you. I 
belong to you. Help me trust you. 
   You can also use a short phrase of 
Scripture: For me, to live is Christ. You will 
never leave me. You are my God. 
   Pray it as often as possible so it is 
rooted deep in your heart. Just be sure that 
youre motivated to honor God, not trying to 
manipulate him into doing your own bidding. 
   Practicing the presence of God is a 
skill, a habit you can develop. Just as musicians 
practice scales every day in order to play beautiful 
music with ease, you can learn how to think about 
God at different times in your day. You can 
train your mind to remember God. 
   At first you will need to create 
reminders to regularly bring your thoughts back to the 
awareness that God is with you in that moment. Begin 
by placing visual reminders around you. You 
might post little notes that say, God is with 
me and for me right now! 
   If you are seeking an experience of his 
presence through all of this, youve missed the 
point. We dont praise God to feel good but to do 
good. Your goal is not a feeling but a continual 
awareness that God is always present. That is the 
lifestyle of worship. [Daily Devotional by Rick 
Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE

Galatians 2:20 - Dead Yet Alive.

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220202-1004.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Steps to Peace by Billy Graham: 
https://stepstopeace.org/ 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study 
Guides: 
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of 
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible 

Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug 
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/  

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: 
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657  

Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The 
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE