The Day I Died

Week 6 Scripture: Galatians 2:19-21

The types of sermons I hear being poured out to the masses by the top rated church podcasts often perplex me. There is very little talk about the cross or suffering, and often much talk about God’s “blessing” and “reward.” As much as I think Joel Osteen has a nice smile, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him speak about the suffering of Christ or Christians. When Paul discusses his new life being lived under Jesus, and no longer according to the law (See last weeks “works of the law”) he talks about the necessity of dying with Christ. In order for Christians to no longer be held to the standard of law, they must die to the law. Nobody can break the law if they’re dead. Therefore, the Christian life is one of dying and suffering. But what does it mean for us to die?

            The Greek language assigns verbs with gender (male or female) and “persons” (i.e. first person: “I”; second person: “You”; third person: “We”). In verse 19, Paul uses a first person verb and a first person pronoun. He basically says, “I, I have been crucified with Christ…” He does this once one in the beginning of verse 20, “I, I no longer live…” Paul does this purposely to point out the emphatic use of the word “I”.  Who is this “I” and what does Paul mean that it is crucified and no longer lives? The “I” is Paul’s old self, which sought to obtain salvation by its own merits and power. Paul thought that if he would only follow enough of the Jewish laws then he might catch God’s attention. Over time Paul came to realize God doesn’t work this way, and in fact he recognized that God was asking him not only to stop trying so hard, but also to cease from trying all together. God wanted a genuine and personal relationship with Paul, not a moral or spiritual checklist of accomplishments. For every Christian, God is requiring a life that is fully devoted to Him—in love and intimacy. This devotion takes the complete and utter destruction of the “I” in our lives; the “I” that attempts to strive to catch God’s attention and make God love us. We are not accepted based on what we do, but whom we trust. God requires only “faith” (see last week’s “faith” section) in Jesus for full acceptance, but this cannot be done until we lay to death that “I” within us. Killing the “I” releases us from living according to our own wishes, and living a genuine existence that God had always planned. Removing the “I” is not a removal of our personality, uniqueness, or abilities, but it is a relinquishing of anything in our lives that is out of sync with Christ. Letting the “I” die allows us to share in the life we truly desire and need, the life in which we experience true humaneness.   

Questions To Ponder:

1.     Why do you think churches don’t focus on Christian suffering? Explain.

2.     What does it mean for you to die to the “I” in your life?

3.     In what ways has God made you into the person you (and God) most desired, but maybe you didn’t see it in the past? Explain.