The Mystery of the Union: Galatians

The following enlightening explanation is from an article by Scott Prewitt in the Vol. 35, Number 4 2019 issue of The Intercessor magazine:

"Paul chooses his words here [in Galatians] to describe Christ as someone who is not separated from mankind by space and time. Clearly Paul understands Christ to be both formed and revealed IN us.

"Christ is not found at some far-away place, choosing to be near to us at certain times yet not at others. Nor can we, on our own, work in such a way or believe hard enough so that Christ will then come to us and be near to us.

"Paul says that He is in us; how much closer can Christ be to us than to be in us? So, if He is in us, then we must be created to contain in Him. For one thing, to be able to be in something else, the thing must have the capacity to contain.

"So now since Christ is in us, what does that look like? Paul gives us the boldest of statements in Galatians 2:20 when he says, 'I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.'

"Paul’s radical statement reveals to us the freedom we have in Christ. We share the cross with Christ by putting to death the notion that 'I' can live by myself and unto myself. This is the lie of the independent 'I' that Paul states must be put to death. Gloriously, though, that death of the 'I' manifests the life that we have in and by Christ Jesus. Though 'I' am dead, I nevertheless live.  But Paul quickly catches himself and replaces the 'I' for even a great emphasis by saying no, it’s not the 'I' that lives but it is Christ that lives.

"Jesus Christ has replaced the independent 'I' that I have believed about myself. So not only does Christ live in me, but Christ also lives out through me. My life and His life mix and mingle where it is impossible to say where one stops and the other starts. The boldness of the message of union with Christ is found here in Galatians 2:20."