Galatians 2:20 (NASB)
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
This is one of my life verses. To me it lays out the heart of what it means to be a New Creation. Foundationally, the New Self is a person through whom Christ lives. When I first became a Christian 36 years ago I knew that following Jesus was my only hope. I was suffering from severe anxiety and depression. It felt like I was totally losing control and I was extremely frightened. For me the future was very dark, so when I gave my life to Christ I felt He was my only hope to escape a joyless life of serious mental illness and hopeless dreams. Having come to Christ, I did all I knew to do to follow Him for I was desperate. The hell of the mental illness I was experiencing drove me to do everything everyone told me to do with the hope of getting free. If some one suggested “pray more”, I prayed more. If they said, “Read your bible more.”, I read my bible more. “Go to church more, memorize scripture more, go to bible studies, etc.” I did it all. I was too scared not to.
Then I began to hear foreign words like, “Be still, and Know that I am God.” Be still? You got to be kidding me! I was working my heart out to get free. I knew I was forgiven. I knew I was going to Heaven one day, but I didn’t know how to make life work, and I was trying as hard as I could. I was saved and absolutely miserable at the deepest level. At my lowest point, and maybe that was necessary, I began to hear “Stop trying, and let Me live My Life through you.” I knew, because everyone said so, that Jesus lived inside of me. After all, I did ask Him to come live in my heart, and He wouldn’t lie when He said He would come in if I opened the door of my heart. I did sense His presence, but I didn’t have a clue that He had come to live in me so He could actually live His life through me. Oh boy, was I about to discover some amazing stuff that would change my life forever after two years of doing my best. Will have to wait till tomorrow to talk more about that.
Have a great day In Christ.