Death Through Christ
But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Galatians 6:14
As believers in Christ, one of our biggest temptations is allowing the world to become the lord of our hearts. The life of the believer must not be about the world.
Does the world love me?
Does the world hate me?
Am I accepted in this world?
Am I an outcast?
The tempting question is, “Am I significant?” The apostle Paul in Galatians 6:14 lays out how believers should operate in relation to the world.
Accomplishments of the Flesh
The Judaizers wanted the Gentiles to identify with Judaism to safeguard themselves from persecution from unbelieving Jews (6:12). If the Gentiles put themselves under the Mosaic Law and Jewish traditions, it would seem as if the Judaizers were just converting Gentiles to Judaism, instead of embracing the crucified Messiah (6:12).
The false teachers knew keeping the Law was impossible but by having some Gentiles try to keep the Law, the Judaizers could then boast in their accomplishments to get pagans to submit to the Law.
This would make the fence riding, Jewish followers of Jesus acceptable to their Jewish kinsmen. The Jewish false teachers would have reason to boast in themselves and their self-righteousness.
But Paul contrasted himself with the false teachers’ way of thinking and functioning. Paul states,
May it never be that I boast, except in the cross of Christ!
Paul knew that his accomplishments in the flesh were of no value in God’s eyes. There is no room for self-exaltation or self-righteousness or self-virtue; especially, in the life of a believer.
Penalty of the Flesh
See it is our rebellion that caused Jesus’ death. Everything we did before Christ and outside of Christ was the reason Jesus died. Our lives were tainted by sin and shaped from a heart opposed to God. Everything we did was for this world. Everything we did in this world was sinful and in opposition to God.
Jesus died for our fleshly participation with the world.
So, Paul says, “His only exaltation is Jesus’s work.” And then Paul continues saying, “His old desires and his old way of life are dead!” What he lived for and what he worked for was dead with Christ. When Paul turned to Christ, he changed.
Paul explained that through Jesus the world has been crucified to him. All that the world sought from him and brought out in him are dead. He no longer lived for the world’s approval or the world’s love. The world was dead to Paul and Paul was dead to the world.
Death of the Flesh
What does this mean? Paul died with Christ and rose with Christ. He no longer cared whether the world would love him or even kill him! He no longer desired the things of the world. Why?
Jesus died for Him.
There is one caveat though. Paul was not perfect. He still battled his flesh (Romans 7). But Paul understood that if he was walking by faith in the Lord and His work, the Spirit of God would be his guide and his life.
By faith in Christ the world was dead to Paul.
This should be true for all of us who claim the name of Jesus. We can’t be sucked up in the things of this world. We shouldn’t worry about what the world thinks of us. We can’t live for the things of this world. We must not live by the flesh. Instead, we must live by Spirit.
If our religion is all about people’s approval, then we are the same as the Judaizers, abandoning the cross of Christ and boasting in ourselves. May God help us all to walk by faith in the person and work of Christ. May God help us not live for ourselves, exalting the world’s self-righteous way of life.
Father, please give me an awareness of every moment I begin to exalt myself.
Help me see the rejection of the cross in my boasting.
Help me stay fixed on the Gospel. Help me proclaim it to the lost world and not live by the response of the world.
Help me to be satisfied with You alone.
Help me be willing to give up everything this world offers at a moment’s notice.
Jesus, you are my Life and my God.
Amen!
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