Galatians 2:20 says, “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.” This verse contains a profound spiritual truth that every believer in Jesus Christ needs to understand – what it means to be “crucified with Christ.” Let’s explore this verse in detail:
1. The context of Galatians 2:20
First, we need to understand the context of this verse. The book of Galatians was written by the apostle Paul to the churches in Galatia. In chapters 1-2, Paul defends his apostleship and authority as coming directly from Christ, not from men. He explains how after his conversion, he did not immediately consult with the other apostles but went to Arabia, then back to Damascus, and later to Jerusalem where he met Peter and James. The other apostles recognized the grace given to Paul and approved his ministry to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:1-10).
Later, when Peter came to Antioch, Paul opposed him for withdrawing from table fellowship with Gentile believers under pressure from Jewish Christians who insisted that the Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved (Galatians 2:11-14). Paul saw this as undermining the truth of the gospel and compromising the freedom we have in Christ. Then in Galatians 2:15-21, Paul explains how both Jews and Gentiles are justified by faith in Christ, not by works of the law. This leads to the declaration in verse 20 of his co-crucifixion with Christ.
2. The meaning of co-crucifixion
“I have been crucified with Christ…” What does this mean? Paul is using imagery here of what happened spiritually when we trusted in Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, He died not just as an individual but as our representative. When He died, we died with Him. When Jesus was crucified, God counted us crucified too – our old sinful nature was put to death.
Romans 6:2-7 explains further: “We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”
The imagery of co-crucifixion signifies our death to sin. When we trusted in Christ, we identified ourselves with Him in His death, burial and resurrection. Though we were not physically present at Golgotha to be literally crucified with Jesus, God united us with Christ in His death spiritually so that the power of sin might be broken in our lives. We thus share in the benefits of what Jesus accomplished there. Our old self and nature died, freeing us from the mastery of sin. Just as a dead person is no longer ruled by sin, we too have been set free from slavery to sin through our co-crucifixion with Christ.
3. No longer I who live, but Christ lives in me
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Here Paul explains a second aspect of what occurred at our co-crucifixion with Christ. Not only did our old self die, but we also underwent a rebirth. Christ now lives in us, and we have a new life source – the risen glorified Christ indwelling us by His Spirit. Paul expressed this to the Corinthians: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The regenerating Spirit of Christ takes up residence within us when we believe, giving us new life.
Paul described this further in Colossians 3:3-4: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Christ Himself, by the Spirit, becomes the vital animating life principle within everyone born again. We can thus say, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” Our life is now centered on Him, deriving its nourishment and direction from Him. Instead of self on the throne, Christ sits on the throne ruling our hearts.
This liberates us from bondage to our old selves. We are free from sin-dominated living by the law of the mind of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2). As believers, we enjoy intimate union and communion with Christ as we abide vitally connected to Him: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit” (John 15:5). Christ living in us is the hope of glory and guarantee of our future resurrection life in God’s presence (Colossians 1:27).
4. Living by faith in Jesus
Paul concludes Galatians 2:20 by saying he now lives “by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Having been crucified with Christ and made alive in Him, Paul lived in total dependence on and submission to the Son of God. Jesus was his life. This echoes Paul’s words in Philippians 1:21: “For me, to live is Christ.” The way we experience empowered new life now is by faith in Jesus. As Paul said in Colossians 2:6, “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him.” Our co-crucifixion with Christ was a once-for-all finished reality at conversion. But we live daily in relationship to that truth by faith, loving Christ and seeking to please Him.
Faith in Jesus means at least three things:
– Trusting only in His shed blood for justification and forgiveness. We rely solely on His atoning sacrifice, not our merits, to be right with God. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
– Depending on Jesus’ empowering grace to live for Him. We cannot overcome sin or please God in our own strength. We walk by the Spirit who applies Christ’s redeeming work to our lives. “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
– Loving Jesus as the joy and passion of our lives. We no longer live for ourselves but for Him. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Our relationship with Christ takes precedence over all else.
Thus, living by faith means deriving all spiritual life and grace from Jesus. We trust only in His cross-work for salvation, rely fully on His resurrection life and power for holiness, and find satisfaction in Him as the supreme treasure of our hearts.
5. The implications of co-crucifixion
Let’s explore some implications of our co-crucifixion with Christ:
It frees us from bondage to sin. Sin’s mastery and domination is broken. Before we were Christians, sin held us captive. But our crucifixion with Christ frees us from sin’s enslaving power, as a dead person is freed from the claims of sin. Though we still struggle with sinful tendencies, sin is no longer our master.
It liberates us to live for Christ. Freed from sin, we are now free to live a new life of righteousness for the glory of God. Sin’s reign is broken so Christ’s reign may begin. We now walk in the good works God intended for us, energized by His grace and Spirit. Our lives take on a new direction lived for a new Master.
It gives us victory over our flesh. Our co-crucifixion with Christ signifies death not only to the guilt of sin through Christ’s blood but also death to the power of indwelling sin through the cross. The desires and lusts of our flesh have been dealt a decisive blow. We are freed from slavery to its sinful passions and pulls. The flesh is now a deposed tyrant.
It means we are dead to condemnation. There is “now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Why? Our co-crucifixion with Him means all our guilt and penalty for sin died there too. The claims of God’s holy law against us were nailed to the cross with Christ (Colossians 2:14). His blood cleanses our conscience of guilt (Hebrews 9:14).
It gives us a new status and identity. We are now “in Christ” by grace, clothed with His righteousness. In God’s sight, He sees us as co-crucified, co-buried and co-resurrected with His Son. We are thus secure new creations in Christ. Our true self is the new redeemed person God made us to be in Jesus.
It enables us to overcome the world. By His cross, Jesus overcame the ruler of this world and his kingdom (John 12:31-33). Joined to Him in His death and resurrection life, we overcome the world too through faith (1 John 5:4-5). Its temptations lose influence as we count ourselves crucified to its allurements.
It motivates us to live sacrificially. We deny ourselves to follow a Master who sacrificed Himself wholly for us. Our old self-centered lives become Christ-centered lives pouring ourselves out in loving service to God and others.
It gives us hope of future glory. Our co-crucifixion means we will also share in Christ’s resurrection when He returns. As His Spirit now dwells in us, so one day we will receive glorious immortal bodies like His (1 Corinthians 15:49; 1 John 3:2). Even physical death loses its sting (1 Corinthians 15:50-58).
6. How do we apply our co-crucifixion practically?
Let’s explore what it looks like to live daily in light of our co-crucifixion with Christ:
Remember we are dead to sin. Count yourselves as dead to sin’s power. Consider your relationship to it as broken. Don’t let it reign (Romans 6:11-14).
Draw on resurrection life within. Rely on the Spirit’s indwelling power for victory over sin. He energizes and leads us to overcome temptation. Our new life in Christ is greater than sin.
Devote yourself to God. Offer yourself to God as one alive from the dead – surrendered fully to please Christ through obedience from the heart. Yield your body as an instrument of righteousness (Romans 12:1; 6:13).
Set your heart on things above. Focus on Christ and the eternal realities of your heavenly life in Him, not earthly things. This lifts your affections and thinking above the pull of sin (Colossians 3:1-4).
Put sinful deeds to death. Actively strive against sinful tendencies and habits by the Spirit’s power, cutting off anything that feeds your flesh (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5-9).
Fill your mind with truth. Renewing your mind to biblical truth is key to living in light of your new identity in Christ. Immersing yourself in Scripture helps you walk by the Spirit (Romans 12:2).
Nurture intimate fellowship with Christ. Daily cultivate your relationship with Jesus through prayer, worship, meditating on His Word, and communing with Him. Draw life, wisdom and joy from Him.
Our co-crucifixion with Christ is not just a doctrine but a reality to walk in daily by faith. God included us in Christ’s death so we might live a new life through Him. May we rejoice in all the spiritual blessings this core biblical truth provides.