Crucified that He might live through me.

I am sorry I missed 2 weeks in a row of blog posting but here is this weeks. I am doing it early because I am afraid it all wont make sense (not that it makes much now) in a few days. Thanks for reading.

Legalism vs liscense can be a big issue in the Church...well let me just tell you it is a big issue. Nearly every chruch goes through a period of time where they are strung between being in the wrold but not of it. Questions like "How much of the world can we 'contextualize (big word these days' and how much do we need to abstain from". I think it is important for us to allow freedom where the Bible says. Christians are no longer held by the law of the OT. We no longer sacrafice animals or require circumcision of converts. But that second example was not always so settled. In Pauls day a group of people known as "Judiasiers" (I probably mis-spelled that) were caliming that to become a Christian, one must first become a Jew and get circumcised. And that is what Paul is addressing here in Galatians 2. He begins by telling the Galatian church that NO ONE is justified by the Law but through faith. Jesus Christ alone is our justification. In this chapter Paul gives one of the best known Bible verses "I have been crucified with Christ. it is no longer I who lives but Christ lives in me". But what does that mean? What does that refer to? Obviously Paul was not physically crucified so what is he talking about? Later on in the ch we find that Jesus took the "curse" of the law to free us from it. He hung on a tree and took the laws curse so that we no longer have to live according to it. Paul is saying that he as well has died to the law so that the grace of Christ might live through him. Paul is free from the Law and its curse and has been set free for a particular purpose "It is Christ who lives in me".