What Did You Die To?

Steven’s Scribbles
“What Did You Die To?”
Gal. 2:19


    One beloved song within our congregation and brotherhood is “I’ve Been Crucified With Christ.” It is a nearly word-for-word reflection of Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (KJV). But what was Paul referencing here? He was speaking about the transformation he underwent to become a Christian. In the preceding verse, Paul writes, “For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God” (Galatians 2:19). Through his understanding of the Law, Paul recognized his need to die to the Old Testament system and fully embrace life in Christ.
    However, there’s an additional lesson here: Paul had to die to his former way of life. When you became a Christian, you were made a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). In baptism, your old self of sin was put to death, and you rose as a new creation in Christ (Romans 6:3-4). This prompts a crucial question: What did you die to? Was it envy? Slander? A lying tongue? Fornication? Pornography? Homosexuality? Stealing? Drinking? Pride? Hypocrisy?
    If the answer is “nothing,” then repentance didn’t occur. Becoming a Christian requires turning away from sin. While those sins may still tempt us, as Christians, we are disgusted by them; we no longer justify them. So, ask yourself: What sins still creep into your life that you need God’s help to overcome? Whatever it is, bring it before God in prayer. He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
I love you all!




In His Service,
Steven Hugley