Rom. 6:1-11, Identified with Christ

As I read Paul’s words (teaching) to Peter in Gal. 2:15-21, I see a summarizing of what will come in Gal. 3-4. 

·       Justification was by faith, 2:15-16.  By “justification” we mean God’s once for all declaring believers to be righteous, to have standing before Him by Christ.

·       Sanctification is by faith as well, 2:17-21.  By “sanctification” we mean God’s setting us apart as holy.  In Galatians there is an emphasis on the process in our lives.  We are (justification); we are becoming what we are (sanctification). 

The issue is raised in v17-19.  If I as a Christian sin, which I do, what does this prove?  Does it prove that God’s unconditional love and forgiveness through the cross encourage me to sin?  Certainly not!  Or does it prove that I am still a law-breaker, a sinner?  Yes, in the sense that I am rebuilding or going back to what I left behind.  Peter’s hypocrisy did this.  He was enslaving himself again to the law, denying his freedom in Christ.  Through the law, which revealed my sinfulness, I left behind (died to) the idea of living for God by my ability to keep the law. 

Which bring us to one of the most succinct statements in all Scripture as to how we live the Christian life.  Gal. 2:20!  The primary statement is: Christ lives in me.  In light of what Christ did on the cross and does in the life of the believer, Paul boldly proclaims that he has not left behind God’s grace.  And in fact, the one who makes our sanctification dependent on our doing the works of the law, that one has made the cross of Christ meaningless.  Strong words!

What does 2:20 tell us?  First, Christ lives in me because of my identification with Him in His death, burial and resurrection.  This is Romans 6 in a nutshell.  I died with Christ; and the new life I have is the life of Christ.  This is not symbolism.  It is reality.  Again, Gal. 3-4 will help us understand this when Paul teaches us about the “seed of Abraham.”

Second, since Christ lives in me, the life I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God.  That is, I believe, an accurate translation; the KJV had it right: I live by the faith of the Son of God.  Most translations say I live by faith in the Son of God.  Rom. 3:22 has a similar phrase: the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ.  The point is that I live my life on the basis of Christ’s faithful work, the work mentioned at the end of 2:20: who loved me and gave Himself for me. 

We have the fundamental truth seen throughout Paul’s letters: the life I live depends totally on Christ living in me.  Phil. 4:13 says a similar truth: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  It is Christ’s work, His strength, by which I live this life in the flesh.  This is walking by faith (2 Cor. 5:7), walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25), walking as children of light (Eph. 5:8) and walking worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him (Col. 1:10).