“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” (Galatians 2:20, ESV).

In this powerful declaration, the Apostle Paul tells the Galatians of his own life experience as an example to demonstrate that trying to gain justification by the law only exposes not exonerates sinfulness.

Once Paul gained God’s approval through the justification that is in Christ, he no longer had to try to meet the impossible burden of trying to earn acceptance with God through his own efforts.

God personalized salvation in Christ. So, an amazing transformation takes place in this new relationship to God. Christ comes to live inside us!

Paul says that now Christ directs and empowers all that he does because Christ’s crucifixion was a personal expression of His love for people individually. Paul trusts Christ moment by moment and Christ works in and through him to give spiritual effectiveness to all that Paul does.

Paul proclaims that his life is now controlled by God’s love and not by the law.

Like Paul, we should find an amazing new freedom in living a life that is completely devoted to Jesus, the Son of God. He redeems each of us personally because He loves us. And then He comes to live inside us to empower us to live for Him and do His will.

In response to God’s love in Christ, our devotion should be focused on living in a way that is pleasing to God and not in a way that tries to earn our salvation.