Grow • Devotion 3

Raised with Him Through Faith
Sydney Kimball

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

When you tell others that you are a Christian, you are not only saying you identify with the family of God, but you are also saying you share in the death and resurrection of Christ. When we accept the free gift of salvation, we are dying to ourselves and our sins, and being raised to new life just as Christ was before us; we are “crucified with Christ.” He paid the price so that we, as believers, would no longer be forced to live by the law and be burdened by sin and shame as a result of breaking it. He brought a whole new meaning to the faith.

Take a moment to read Romans 8:2-3.

Jesus came to bring a new covenant to His people. It was no longer about religious traditions and Levitical Law. It was about loving Jesus and living a life that reflected that love and respect for Him. This concept is displayed by Paul when he wrote, “The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

What he is saying here is that Christ loved us all so much that He gave His life for us so that we may have eternal life. If Christ was willing to do that out of His love for us, then we must allow our love for Him to alter the way we live. We must live as the resurrection power lives within us. We must live like we truly are a new creation.

When you say, “Christ lives in me,” you are saying that the same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you! It is a hard concept to grasp. The Holy Spirit dwelling within us helps bring us conviction and guidance through life. That is why He is called the “Helper.” Abiding in the Holy Spirit allows us to live for Christ in the way God intended. He gives us the power and the authority to be ambassadors for the Kingdom of God just as Jesus was here on Earth.

So, leverage your gifts, the power of the Holy Spirit, and your love for the Lord in order to live like the power of the risen King dwells within you!