Galatians 2 - James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

THE CRUCIFIED CHRISTIAN

‘I am crucified with Christ.’

Galatians 2:20

There are two thoughts which should grow up together in our minds as plants from one stem—that Christ was crucified for us—and that our calling on earth is to be crucified with Him.

I. The Cross of Christ! how much it teaches us! God’s hatred of sin; the depth to which the world’s sin has plunged us; the infinite, incomprehensible love of God for the sinful race; and the power of victory over sin and death and hell, then most marvellously displayed, when they had seemed to triumph. The Cross when received into the soul is not merely an object external to us to be contemplated by faith—not only a ground of confidence for the forgiveness of sins; but it is a living power—the power of God unto our present sanctity and our eternal salvation. It is a new spring of life to our redeemed humanity—a power communicated to the soul, and altering its character—raising, ennobling, perfecting its energies, conforming each soul to the crucified humanity of Christ our Lord.

II. When the Cross is thus received, the whole life feels its influence.—There can be no longer an unresisted indulgence of sin: no one can continue at ease in sin with the thought of the Crucifixion in his mind.

III. Do you think it will cost you nothing to battle with self, to be ever on the watch to keep self under, to deny yourself in things lawful in order that you may not be lured on to sinful indulgence in things unlawful? It is a hard matter, but possible to him who lives by faith in the Son of God. Day after day, year after year, the same self to conquer: it is hard, but it must be done. To pass hours in struggling with a hated sin; to spend sleepless nights of sorrow over it; to subdue it a little and then find it return again, the battle to be fought once more, another struggle, another strife, and perhaps final victory not even yet. And with some of us find there is still sin and Satan and the flesh still to fight with and destroy. Do you know anything of the life and the death of the Cross?

Illustration

‘The victory accomplished in Christ’s case was not to terminate in His case. That victory was not only shown for our sakes; but the power of it was intended to pass into us, that we might win the same. Then, He gave Himself for us. Now He gaves Himself to us. All the acts of His earthly life were like seeds containing powers which were to be communicated from Him to us to be reproduced in our lives. In His baptism he received a manifestation of the Spirit, which was to pass on in its measure from Himself to all who are baptized into His Name. In His temptation He showed powers over Satan which were to be the heritage of all who follow Him in faith. So also in His Crucifixion He was infusing into our nature a like power to die to sin.’

CRUCIFIED, YET ALIVE

‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live.’

Galatians 2:20

I. Crucifixion was the manner in which Christ was put to death.

(a) He suffered on a Cross, and thus literally became dead. In a like manner St. Paul became dead to mere ceremonial Judaism, to worldliness and to sin,

(b) He became insensible to all surrounding objects, like other dead persons. He ceased to hear, to see. He was laid in the cold grave. So St. Paul says of himself that He became insensible to Judaism, as a means of his justification—insensible to worldly ambition, to the love of money, to pride and pomp of life, and all hateful passions. All these had lost their power over him, and ceased to influence him.

(c) That crucifixion was like a forcible bending of the head which would affect every member of the body; like a heavy blow to the root of a vine which would affect every branch and tendril of the plant. Thus St. Paul felt identified with the Lord Jesus, and he was willing to share in all the ignominy and contempt which was connected with the idea of the crucifixion. He was willing to regard himself as one with his Redeemer.

II. St. Paul, though in a sense crucified with Christ, did not wish to be understood that he felt himself to be dead.—He was not inactive, not insensible (as the dead are) to the great duties and objects which ought to interest an immortal mind. He was still actively employed, and the more so from the fact that he was crucified with Christ. He desires here to show that it was no design of Christianity to make men inactive or to restrict their energies; it was not to cause men to do nothing; it was not to paralyse their powers or to stifle their own efforts. St. Paul, therefore, in effect says: I am not dead, I am alive in Christ.

III. So, too, with ourselves; the effect of true religion is not to make us dead in regard to putting forth our best energies in promoting the interests of our immortal souls, the glory of God, and the extension of Christ’s Kingdom. True religion has never made any one an inactive person, but it has converted many a sluggish one from indolence, effeminacy, and self-indulgence to be a person engaged in ‘going about doing good.’ If a mere nominal Christian is less active in the service of God than he is in the service of the world, less laborious, less zealous and ardent than he was before his supposed conversion, he should carefully examine himself whether this is not a proof that he is an utter stranger to true religion.

—Rev. Dr. Brewster.

(SECOND OUTLINE)

LIFE IN CHRIST

We believers have life in Christ, in its forensic sense. It is to this view of our subject that the Apostle directs us: ‘I have been crucified with Christ, yet I live.’

I. St. Paul brings us into contact with the fundamental doctrine of the Gospel, Christ as the Substitute of His people, and their complete identity with Him. He was crucified on the Cross, and they, having been eternally united with Him, reckoned one with Him by His Father, did in law suffer in Him the law’s punishment; did die in Him; they were crucified in Him and with Him. What then follows? Having died in Christ once unto sin, i.e. to the guilt of sin, the condemnation of sin, they live unto God and before God. In Adam we sinned as our Covenant-head, but now in Christ we are made alive, in Him we become perfectly righteous, and in Him and through Him righteousness reigns through grace unto eternal life.

II. Here is the spring of joyful service.—We work, not for life, but from life; we work no longer as criminals, but as justified men. We no longer lie as men dead in the eye of the law, but as believers we are alive in the eye of Jehovah’s law—alive in Christ. Let us, then, live up to this blessing through faith in Him Who is our Surety and Substitute, and in Whom and with Whom we have come forth from the prison-house to tread this earth with the mien of justified believers.

III. But how long will this life which we have in Christ last?—Our mortal lives may reach threescore years and ten, and some persons may outlive that period; but our life in Christ is eternal, as our Lord and Saviour has assured us in numerous portions of His Word. ‘God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.’ Yes, bound up with Christ in the bundle of life; being written unto life amongst the living in Jerusalem; having our names written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain, from the foundation of the world; and having been placed in the hands of Christ, we can say by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, and by His inward testimony, ‘We know that we have everlasting life in Christ.’ But who can describe all that is connected with this life, and will be manifested when faith is swallowed up in sight and hope in fruition? It is all summed up in this brief sentence, ‘When Christ Who is our life shall appear’ (or be manifested), ‘then shall we also appear’ (or be manifested) ‘in glory.’ Yes, in glory will be the perfection and the consummation of the life which we have in Christ.

—Rev. W. H. Painter.

Illustration

‘Almost every Epistle written by St. Paul contains distinct references to this truth, that the believer’s life is in Christ. And herein he did but follow the teaching of his great Master—teaching which reaches its consummation in Chapter s 15. and 17. of St. John’s Gospel. Observe the believer’s standing. He is in Christ, in union with Him; deriving his spiritual life from Him; having His Spirit, the Spirit of life, in him; quickening him; energising him; strengthening him and sustaining him in all seasons of his earthly career, whether in trials, or in dangers, or in difficulties, or in conflicts. Amid all he can say, “Christ is my life; I live in Him.” But was it always thus with the believer? No; for he was once dead, spiritually and legally dead, as a sinner, and he was under sentence of eternal death. Death is the antithesis of life.’

THE CHRIST LIFE

‘Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.’

Galatians 2:20

Christianity is, before all things and above all things, a life to be lived. Let us endeavour to trace briefly some of the characteristics of this life of Christ.

This life is—

I. Mysterious.—All life is. No man can understand life, even though it be the life of an insect or a plant. Philosophers have written upon ‘the beginnings of life,’ but only to display their ignorance in dealing with such a subject.

II. Spontaneous.—All life is, and in this consists the difference between the man and the machine. Tried by this test, a good deal of what passes for Christianity would fail. It looks well at a distance. It passes muster in a crowd; but when you come near to it, when you try to lay your hand upon its heart, you find it is a lifeless thing. It has a form of godliness, but denies the power thereof. It is not a spontaneous, it is an artificial life.

III. Precious.—To know whether we are living the Christ-life, we must ask what He is to us. Is He precious? Are we willing to part with all things for His sake? What have we suffered for Him? Have we ever hazarded anything for His sake? our reputation, our friends, nay, our life itself? If we do not value Him above all, do we in His judgment value Him at all?

IV. Powerful.—All life is.

(a) It has uplifting power.

(b) It has overcoming power.

(c) It has expulsive power.

(d) It has attractive power.

(e) It has enduring power.

—Rev. E. W. Moore.

Illustration

‘As the bridegroom to his chosen,

As the king unto his realm,

As the keep unto the castle,

As the pilot to the helm,

So, Lord, art Thou to me.

‘As the fountain in the garden,

As the candle in the dark,

As the treasure in the coffer,

As the manna in the ark,

So, Lord, art Thou to me.

‘As the ruby in the setting,

As the honey in the comb,

As the light within the lantern,

As the father in the home,

So, Lord, art Thou to me.

‘As the sunshine to the heavens,

As the image to the glass,

As the fruit unto the fig-tree,

As the dew unto the grass,

So, Lord, art Thou to me.’

LESSONS FROM ST. PAUL

‘The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.’

Galatians 2:20

I put St. Paul before you as the breakwater that withstands sceptical attacks upon the faith, as the man who combines preaching with practice, as the rallying point for all parties in the Church, and as the guide of all the wandering penitent souls into the haven where they would be.

I. Are you a victim of scepticism?—Have you taken home the astonishing fact of St. Paul’s conversion at all? I wonder whether I am speaking to some one who is kicking against the pricks of conscience, and who is, by his or her life, persecuting Jesus—that sneer which chilled that boy’s faith, that shrug of the shoulders which made the girl who trusted you so much give up going to church. They were Christ’s little ones. Are there any here living in that state of light and airy scepticism as if it did not very much matter whether they believed or not, and as if their life and how it was lived made little difference to the world at all? If there be such, I pray God that this day may not pass before you go down upon your knees humbly, as St. Paul did.

II. Or, again, are you a victim of that common delusion that because there are good men and good women who live good lives and yet are not Christians, that therefore it does not matter what you believe?—I do not know of any more common delusion, especially among the young, than the sight of some one whom they admire who is not a Christian. They say: ‘What does it matter what I believe?’ But have you ever thought that in order to judge as to the practical effects of belief and unbelief you would have to start belief and unbelief on two separate islands, separate from the rest of the world, and then see in a thousand years what the effect would be. Why, to-day we breathe the Christian atmosphere whether we want to or not, and therefore your friend is breathing the Christian atmosphere. He is following unconsciously the teaching of Christ which he finds in the country in which he lives, and unconsciously sees the Leader Whom he is following. But to found upon that the idea that it does not matter what you believe is one of the most awful mistakes that you can make. No; St. Paul teaches you that if you would be a power in the world you must receive unto your souls the Christian spirit of Christ.

III. Or, again, are you divided by party spirit?—We are growing in our Church to an understanding of the Gospel as St. Paul understood it. We believe in conversion, but we believe also in the gift that is given from heaven. We prepare our candidates for confirmation, for we read in the Bible, ‘Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.’ We have our preparation classes and our services to prepare our hearts for the Holy Communion. But, above all, we understand that when we come to that Holy Communion we receive a special gift which we can receive in no other way; and therefore try and take home the third lesson of St. Paul—of toleration and understanding of those of a different school of thought from you, and the seeing how two sets of truths complement and supplement one another.

IV. And lastly, and above all, are we taking home the lesson—of what the Christian life really is?—If not, let us look again at this wonderful man, who never felt alone, for his Master was with him, who feared no task that might be laid upon him because he was keen for the task, who had a thorn in the flesh but was not discouraged by it. ‘My grace is sufficient for thee,’ he was always hearing, and ‘My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Can we feel like that? We may not attain to it. That is the ideal. Oh, that I could feel that every man and woman here wanted to be like St. Paul, giving up their will, and letting the life of Christ rule them and be within them.

Bishop A. F. Winnington-Ingram.

Illustration

‘No man can sneer at St. Paul as a mere peasant or fisherman who would believe anything. In St. Paul we have an intellect that could form and write the Epistle to the Romans, and yet a man who was the humblest and most believing of Christians. We have a man who is deeply spiritual, who can say, “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Yet he left the most extraordinary work that ever man left behind him. He was a practical man, who had to deal with the most perplexing problems, and did deal with them in the most astonishing way. We have a man who was full of a most fervent evangelical zeal, and yet one of the strongest and most definite Churchmen that ever lived. He preached Christ and the resurrection, and yet he believed as firmly in baptism, confirmation, and the Holy Communion, and in the glory of a Divine society as the strongest Churchman who is alive to-day.’

A PRECIOUS INHERITANCE

‘Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’

Galatians 2:20

I. Whom He loved.—Mark the expression, ‘Who loved me.’ Not my sins. No; He looked upon all these with righteous and holy abhorrence. He hated all these things, but He loved me—He loved my soul.

II. What proof did He give of this?—The Apostle answers, ‘He loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ Oh wondrous gift! He gave not His kingdom, not His crown, not His glory, not His boundless wealth! He gave up these indeed, but—marvellous grace—‘He gave Himself!’

III. Do you need encouragement to come to Jesus?—Then here it is. Perhaps you look back on your past life and see it stained with crimes of the deepest dye. You see sins the very thought of which suffuses your countenance with a blush. You see sins against light, wilful sins, secret sins, open sins—a multitude that no man can number, rising like a mountain to your view, and you are ready to exclaim, ‘Can God love me? Impossible!’ Yes, He does; He loves you. He hated all these things, but He loved you, and loves you still. ‘He loved you, and gave Himself for you.’ Come, then, to that Saviour, and let nothing keep you back.

Rev. F. Whitfield.

Illustration

‘Why am I not in hell—a lost soul—in the outer darkness? What answer is there but this?—“He loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Why was I called by grace, and led to the Cross? “He loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Why have I been brought back so many times when I have wandered, and been lifted up when I had fallen? “He loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Why have I had so many answers to prayer? “He loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Why has God ever used me to do the least thing for Him? “He loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Why has He promised to keep that which I have committed to Him against that day? “He loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Why are you here? they will ask in Paradise. “He loved me, and gave Himself for me.” ’