I Am Crucified With Christ

"....it is no longer I that live but Christ lives in me". Powerful! Paul goes on to say" This life I live I live by the faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me". All this good stuff is Galatians 2:20. This entire scripture sums up why you and I made this decision to follow Him. Who needs to think about the decision to follow Christ when we understand that he loved us so much that he died for us. Would you die for a friend? Maybe. Would you die for someone you don't like? Be honest...... Here's a tougher question, would you die for someone who didn't like you? Jesus did. Even on the cross, He forgave those who crucified Him. If I have died, then how can anything hurt me? Sin no longer has dominion over me - or you! These are all things you have to meditate and chew on for a long time before the depth of the reality of these words and His actions sinks in. Colossians 2:13 - 15 - Wow! "¹³ And you, being dead in your trespasses and the circumcision of your flesh(remember the Jewish Christians? - that's a Julie thought - not in the Bible), He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, ¹⁴ having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." I highlighted my favorite parts. I guess that's just about all of it. It's good to be loved. It's good to be accepted. It's good not to be judged. It's just good to be a Christian. Your new walk in forgiveness is a part of the "triumphing over principalities" that Paul is talking about. We must become righteousness conscious instead of sin conscious. In other words, become conscious of who you are in Christ, not the snake you used to be. Think about who you are in Christ and the old habits of sin will fall away. I remember when I got Spirit filled, I was smoking at the time. I loved smoking (and really thought I was cool doing it - college mentality). I figured that wasn't a good representation for Christ so I wanted to quit. Well, that's easier said than done. I asked God for help. I trusted Him to help me. I know He wasn't judging me. I knew He loved me. So, I prayed and smoked for a number of months until one day I realized I wasn't smoking anymore! The desire was gone. I filled up with God and there was no room for smoking. It was a habit that had to break. God loved me through the process and the Holy Spirit gave me the power to stop. "I have been crucified with Christ."....thanks God!