I Cannot Do It

Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me.”

For a long time, before Paul knew Jesus, he thought God would accept him because of his law-keeping. But when he came to the point where he really understood the law, then Paul realized that the law made him guilty before God, not justified before God.

“I have been crucified with Christ”. I died to the law when Jesus died on the cross. “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”: Since we died with Christ on the cross we have a different life. Our old life, that lived under the law is dead. Now we are alive to Jesus Christ.

“I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Luther said: “Faith connects us so intimately with Christ, that we are one in Him, we become as it were one person. As such you may boldly say: ‘I am now one with Christ.”‘

Prayer:
Lord, thank you, we could never have kept the law enough to be declared righteous before You. So, You took care of that, and gave Your Son to die for us. That old man and old way of life is gone. Now the only merit and life we have is in and through Jesus. In Your name Lord, Amen