Paul vs. The GalatiansНамуна

Crucified with Christ

I love to think that I can do more than I really can. To make bold predictions about exercise plans and health goals. It’s easy to declare all of the jobs that will be accomplished over the course of a short weekend. It feels good to confidently exclaim how successful I will be at whatever I undertake.

Paul seems to be in that territory in today’s passage.

He confidently declares: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20 NIV).

No religious vernacular here. This is Paul stating both an aspiration and a basic fact. It’s raw and revolutionary.

There’s a great deal to consider in these words. The implications of crucifixion are myriad.

Perhaps the most significant is the humility required for a statement like this.

If we are men shaped by ambition, personal achievement, and status, the crucifixion of “self” is a humbling confrontation. Christ’s life—His values, compassion, courage—must define our everyday rhythms.

If we are to be men who follow Christ and let His life live in us, we must accept that life is not about building kingdoms of personal success; it’s about yielding, through the power and direction of the Spirit, to Jesus' rule.

Crucifixion calls for serious surrender. It invites us away from self-promotion and into sacrificial service for spouse, children, community, and God's Kingdom. The crucified self stops controlling and starts trusting. This view transforms long hours at work into purposeful provision. It transforms anger into patience. It flips the need to be admired into the willingness to serve unseen.

Ready for the challenge?

The resurrected “Christ in you” isn’t a theological concept—it’s Spirit-given power to live differently.

To be a man no longer combating insecurity through achievement, criticism through suppression, or loneliness through busyness.

Instead, he lives rooted in Christ’s love—rested, responsive, and real. His identity isn’t built—it has been crucified and reborn.

Are you ready to be that man?

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for helping me to crucify my self-directed life and raising me in Yours. Today, empower me by Your Spirit to live by Your life, not mine. Amen.

Reflection: What part of your self-reliance needs “crucifying” today so Christ can live and lead through you?