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The Amish Voice 7
Christ. He loves Him because Christ has done so much for Him.
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because
we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and
that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth
live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and
rose again” (2 Co.5:14-15).
5. A BELIEVER IS JUSTIFIED BY LIVING FOR GOD (vv.19-
21).
A believer lives for God by doing four things.
1. The believer lives for God by dying to the law. The law
shows a man that he is a sinner and that he comes ever so
short of perfection and righteousness. The law shows man
that he is to be punished and separated from the society of
God forever. The law shows man that he stands no chance of
ever being accepted by God—not if he has to approach God
by keeping the law. He just cannot keep the law—not contin-
ually, not consistently—for he is always coming short of the
law and of God’s glory. The law slays man; it kills him and
condemns him to death. The only hope man ever has of being
acceptable to God is to die to the law—somehow, some way
to be delivered out from under the law—to be removed so far
away from the law that it has no bearing upon him. How can
man do this? By turning away from the law and finding
Someone who can stir God to count him righteous and to ac-
cept him. The first thing that a man must do in order to live
for God is to die to the law and to self-righteous works.
2. The believer lives for God by being crucified with Christ
(v.20). How in the world can a man be crucified with Christ
when Christ died so many centuries ago? Scripture tells us
how. When a man believes that Jesus Christ died for him—
that Jesus Christ bore the punishment of sin for him—God
takes that man’s faith and…
counts his faith as his having died in Christ.
counts his faith as his identification with Christ in
death.
counts his faith as his having already been punished
for sin in the death of Christ.
As Scripture says, the man is “crucified with Christ.” God
counts or credits the believer as having already died—as hav-
ing died with Christ.
3. The believer lives for God by allowing Christ to live His life
through his body. Now note: the believer is “crucified with
Christ,” yet he is still living upon earth. However, he is not to
be the one in charge of his life. By faith he has died with
Christ; therefore, he is to live with Christ. He is to allow
Christ to live in and through his body, to control and to be in
charge of his life.
The believer is to be so merged into Christ that it is as
though Christ is walking upon the earth in his body.
The believer is to be so much in union and fellowship
with Christ that it is as though he be but a branch
drawing his very life and nourishment from Christ (see
the Vine and the branches, Jn.15:1-6).
APPLICATION 1:
Jesus Christ (God’s Spirit) lives in the body of the believer.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, ex-
cept ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He
that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth
much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (Jn.15:4-5).
APPLICATION 2:
The believer is to allow Christ to live through his body.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, ac-
ceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be
not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Ro.12:1-2).
4. The believer lives for God by trusting the grace of God, that is,
by trusting Jesus Christ who is God’s righteousness. The word
“frustrate” means to set aside, void, invalidate, make ineffective,
and nullify. If a man sets aside the grace of God to seek right-
eousness by the law, then Christ died in vain. The person who
preaches that a man can be good enough—that he can work
enough and keep enough law—to become righteous and accepta-
ble to God…
voids and does away with the love and grace of God
makes the death of Christ empty and meaningless
The only way a man can live for God is by trusting the grace
and love of God, that is, by trusting the death of Jesus Christ for
His righteousness.
“And be found in him, not having mine own righteous-
ness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Ph.3:9).
ILLUSTRATION:
Have you ever thought about what it means to live a crucified life?
Imagine the following happening to a church in your community:
In the middle of a church service, Jesus Christ Himself
walked right down the center isle of a large church and positioned
Himself behind the pulpit. As you can imagine, there was great
excitement. A pulsating electricity ran through the congregation.
On the edge of their seats, the people waited for His pro-
found words.
“Go with Me today to the local shopping mall and
witness for Me.”
The assembly was a little shocked by His re-
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the purpose of the law in the Christian’s life?
2. What motivates your love for Christ? Have you ever loved
Him for the wrong reasons?
3. Contrast the law with grace. Which one of these has the great-
est influence on your life now?