Day 14 of 21: January 24, 2024
Scripture
Galatians 2:19-20 For I, through the law, died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; 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 for me.
Observation
The Law demands perfection. Under the Law, we all deserve to die. The penalty for sin is death. On the cross, Jesus became our sin, and thus, our faith in Him causes our sin to die there as well. The event in the past is made my present reality through faith. Therefore, in faith, it is no longer my sinful self that lives but the redeemed in Christ. We can experience the reality of heaven, this side of death, only as we crucify our flesh through faith in Jesus and His cross.
When He died, He took my sin with Him. When He rose, He raised me up as well. The more my faith in Christ grows and deepens, the more my sin is crucified, and the more my redeemed self is realized.
This is why fasting is such a crucial, critical, and essential discipline. It is the practice of crucifying (killing by active denial) my flesh to walk in more of whom the Holy Spirit is making me to be (Philippians 1:6).
Application
Faith is active trust in and obedience to God’s word (both written and revealed). Faith will lead us into self-denial and fasting like the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness after His baptism (Matthew 4:1).
It is important to remember that if we confess our sins (1 John 1:9, James 5:16), we are forgiven – even if we don’t feel like it. We then have access to God’s grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8), not to get caught up in the past, but to live in the present in light of eternity as our redeemed selves, following the leading of the Holy Spirit (even if that means a wilderness, fire, storm, or valley).
Prayer
Lord, Jesus. Thank You for today. Thank You for paying the price for my sin. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight or emotions. Give me the strength for today to walk according to Your grace and will for my life. I thank You for Your undeserved love. Help me to crucify my flesh so that I may be more like You and more like who You created me to be. Amen.