Beautiful Word Devotional #166

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

Galatians 2:20

Maybe you’ve seen a movie that showed Jesus being crucified—getting too close to Calvary makes us awestruck and horrified, uncomfortable yet grateful.

Jesus endured this unspeakable physical pain. Then he endured the unfathomable spiritual pain of being completely forsaken by God, abandoned and alone.

Why? Because he was fulfilling God’s call to die for humanity’s sins.

So what was Paul talking about here? What does it mean to be crucified with Christ? Simply this: his act of love was so outrageous that it demands a response. And the response is making the deliberate choice to follow after Him.

Being crucified with Christ also means you see sin for what it is: the cause of—the reason for—Jesus’ crucifixion. Your own sin becomes a stench to you, so you follow Jesus to the cross to rid yourself of your sin, to find forgiveness, and to be reminded that you can live a new life now—a life of power, hope, and joy.

Lord, I choose today to kneel before the cross in gratitude for your forgiveness and the brand-new life I now can live, amen.