I have been crucified with Christ that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Gal 2:20)
Before coming to Christ, life was a relentless pursuit of acceptance and validation. Whether one felt a sense of abundance or lack, the quest was always about obtaining—obtaining self-worth, acceptance from others, and a sense of belonging. It revolved around following societal norms, adhering to rules, and striving to meet the expectations set by the world around us. Some succeeded and felt a fleeting sense of accomplishment, while others struggled and viewed themselves as failures. This constant striving and maintaining one's position in the world was an exhausting and never-ending task.
Yet now, in Christ, everything has changed. The old self, with its endless pursuits and struggles, has been crucified with Christ. The old has gone, and the new has come. We haven't just been given a new life; we have been assured into it. In Christ, we operate from a position of grace and acceptance, rather than striving to obtain or maintain a status.
In Christ, we are accepted, redeemed, made holy, righteous, and pure. All the things we once felt we needed to achieve to feel okay with ourselves have been freely given to us through Christ. Our faith in His love and sacrifice assures us that we are now beloved children of God. This faith is our anchor as we navigate life in the flesh.
Having been washed clean and made the temple of the living God, we now align ourselves with this faith. Our inner man, the spiritual man, has been renewed and transformed. The focus now is on renewing our minds to align with what Christ has done. We grow in wisdom and understanding, but our position remains secure. Everything we think, say, and do flows from our renewed inner being.
We have been changed, and our actions naturally follow this transformation. This new nature we possess is lived out naturally because we believe in it and in the One who gave it to us. Before Christ, we strove to obtain and maintain an elusive position that promised to make everything right. Now, in Christ, we exist in a state of being. It is not about doing to become; it is about being and trusting in our new position.
In this new position, we are. And from this state of being comes all the blessings associated with being in Christ. There is no longer a need to obtain or maintain. We simply are. We grow, yes, but in our growth, we possess and incrementally become in the flesh what He has made us in the spirit. We have been made new, reborn, recreated into a state of being. This is our reality in Christ.