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Bible Study Do We Really Practice Galatians 2:20?

Chopper

Chopper

Member
Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

There are several Truths explained in this Verse that's worthy of reminding ourselves, especially how we treat each other when a thread in any of the forum exchanges, get a little heated.

First lets remind ourselves of....
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

This verse clearly states, that if we have been truly saved, we are a new supernatural creation of Almighty God. We are not what we used to be. Also, we are not all that we're going to be. BUT, that's no excuse to keep acting like a change never happened!

A New Creature acts and lives differently from the old. Especially in how we speak to other Christians. That's where Galatians 2:20 comes in.

Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Crucified means DEAD! If Jesus died, so did we. DEAD! Now, because of a great act on God's part, nevertheless, I live. Listen please, thru the blessed Holy Spirit Who entered our bodies and made them His Temple of operations for our lives, as well as to other Brothers and Sisters. Our bodies belong to Someone other than us. Our bodies have been bought and paid for. They belong to Jesus as He acts thru His Spirit.

The Holy Spirit represents Christ Jesus, and in Chopperism, that means, "move out old Chopper, you're not welcome here anymore, your righteously evicted. Now, since Christ, thru the Spirit, lives in us, that is, in our body, His Temple, we need to live and act like He really IS in us.

How do we treat others? Do we act like it's Jesus acting thru us? or has our old nature taken control of the reins of our minds and usurped the function of Jesus in us? Does that grieve the Holy Spirit in us? YOU BET IT DOES.

How about when we are conversing with a Brother or Sister in a certain thread, are we throwing snarks at them like we did when we were a kid in a snowball fight? Jesus doesn't appreciate how we are using His reclaimed Temple and tongue to insult, and even hurt & offend by our fleshly remarks.

So, lets remember this absolute Truth. Not only does Jesus live in us, Jesus lives in our Brothers and Sisters. When we throw a snark at a Brother, in reality, we are throwing a snark at Jesus the Son of God....Just think about it, please.
 
I remember when I switched from public schools to private Christian schools.
Granted I grew up in church... But this was different from Sundays.

It took time for me to adjust. Get my behavior in line.

And my classmates and teachers all gave me browbeatings and looks and curt statements to let me know that my behavior was unacceptable.

Then came the hammer one time. A favorite teacher told me that if my language didn't improve they were going to have a school board meeting to discuss my continued presence at the school.

Now as a 17 year kid...I got the message. (Finally). I imagined all the junk that this would entail. Parents would not be pleased (a massive understatement).
The school would take a really holy righteous stance. (Reality was something different) and I wouldn't have any chance of any kind of defense.

But the truth was that I had been changing. The frequency of "four letter expletives" had come way down from my usual repertoire. Only when I got furious with someone or something would it happen. And the incident that occurred which brought out the hammer was someone tattling and exaggerating their story.

Soooo
All this is to say.
Sure. We all could season our words with grace a bit more liberally. But don't negate your influence upon those individuals who make those kinds of statements.
Whether people try to make believe that they have done nothing wrong their conscience tells them otherwise.

And leaders happen. They don't really get elected by voting. They don't get appointed by men in this. There is no application to fill out for the "grace police"

They just become leaders by "magic".
I know you do well on this subject. You do use lots of grace when in discourse. So you do have the moral high ground to speak on this.

But....
Emotions run high when discussing theology. Always have.
In times past theological differences have killed, jailed, and beaten many people. So much so that people claimed to be deists instead of a particular denomination. So we're actually better today than a couple hundred years ago.

I wonder where we will be in the future.
 
Chopper said:
Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

There are several Truths explained in this Verse that's worthy of reminding ourselves, especially how we treat each other when a thread in any of the forum exchanges, get a little heated.

First lets remind ourselves of....
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

This verse clearly states, that if we have been truly saved, we are a new supernatural creation of Almighty God. We are not what we used to be. Also, we are not all that we're going to be. BUT, that's no excuse to keep acting like a change never happened!

A New Creature acts and lives differently from the old. Especially in how we speak to other Christians. That's where Galatians 2:20 comes in.

Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Crucified means DEAD! If Jesus died, so did we. DEAD! Now, because of a great act on God's part, nevertheless, I live. Listen please, thru the blessed Holy Spirit Who entered our bodies and made them His Temple of operations for our lives, as well as to other Brothers and Sisters. Our bodies belong to Someone other than us. Our bodies have been bought and paid for. They belong to Jesus as He acts thru His Spirit.

The Holy Spirit represents Christ Jesus, and in Chopperism, that means, "move out old Chopper, you're not welcome here anymore, your righteously evicted. Now, since Christ, thru the Spirit, lives in us, that is, in our body, His Temple, we need to live and act like He really IS in us.

How do we treat others? Do we act like it's Jesus acting thru us? or has our old nature taken control of the reins of our minds and usurped the function of Jesus in us? Does that grieve the Holy Spirit in us? YOU BET IT DOES.

How about when we are conversing with a Brother or Sister in a certain thread, are we throwing snarks at them like we did when we were a kid in a snowball fight? Jesus doesn't appreciate how we are using His reclaimed Temple and tongue to insult, and even hurt & offend by our fleshly remarks.

So, lets remember this absolute Truth. Not only does Jesus live in us, Jesus lives in our Brothers and Sisters. When we throw a snark at a Brother, in reality, we are throwing a snark at Jesus the Son of God....Just think about it, please.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this scripture and teaching.

You are a good example of walking in this, so I submit to your teaching by example.

God bless you.


JLB
 
Being excessively guilty of this I had to reach the point every one of us needs and to turn my antagonist over to God and until that happened I did my best to answer that person in kind, doing nothing for my witness. Unlike so many today, I have not reduced my passion for the truth of the Gospel and still teach Hell's Fire and Damnation but without the jaded insults.

I feared the lose of my passion but that is not a requirement for being kind.
 
I believe its the old wanting to sound more "cleverer" than the other person.When in fact as members of Christ's Body we are instructed to support not drag each other down like a childish mud wrestling game ."When my thoughts were bitter and my feelings hurt, 22.I was as stupid as an animal;I did not understand you."(Ps.73:21-22)As Rick Warren so nicely puts it "In contrast , the Bible says,'A man's wisdom gives him patience, it is to his glory to overlook an offence cf Prov.15:19'Patience comes from wisdom , and wisdom comes from hearing the perspective of others.Listening says, 'I value your opinion, I care about our relationship, and you matter to me'The cliche is true:People don't care what we know until they know we care."(Warren.Purpose Driven Life 155-156)
 
Tony Hyman said:
I believe its the old wanting to sound more "cleverer" than the other person.When in fact as members of Christ's Body we are instructed to support not drag each other down like a childish mud wrestling game ."When my thoughts were bitter and my feelings hurt, 22.I was as stupid as an animal;I did not understand you."(Ps.73:21-22)As Rick Warren so nicely puts it "In contrast , the Bible says,'A man's wisdom gives him patience, it is to his glory to overlook an offence cf Prov.15:19'Patience comes from wisdom , and wisdom comes from hearing the perspective of others.Listening says, 'I value your opinion, I care about our relationship, and you matter to me'The cliche is true:tongueeople don't care what we know until they know we care."(Warren.Purpose Driven Life 155-156)
Click to expand...
Tony, this quote and your comments are very solid and on point but quoting that source is not a good thing, that book destroyed one Church completely in my part of the woods, started another where you could have a couple of beers or a mixed drink while the preacher preached and I know Rick claims to be a Baptist but he also proclaims there are many paths to Heaven on the Larry King Show.

As I said, the use of the scripture to make your point is on center.
 
Much need post Chopper, thank you. I wrote this a few years ago before I found this site, but I do see this does apply even here, but not as much as other sites. Think me not more superior than any other for sharing this as like everyone else I am just a simple humbled servant of God. God bless all of you.


1Peter 4:7-11
“Ding! Ding! Round One”. This is what you hear when two fighters get into the ring to face off in a battle of who is the superior one. Unfortunately this is what is happening between Gods children as Christians are squaring off as trying to be the superior one in the word of God, but yet have no knowledge of truth, 2Timothy 3:7. Love and humbleness is now being replaced with anger and hostility towards each other as many love to argue and debate the word of God according to what they believe and choose to condemn those who are not in agreement with them.

The best example of this is taking place in Christian chat rooms on the internet. Satan is pinning Christian against Christian because they are allowing themselves to get into the flesh and the flesh is where Satan attacks us when we are separated from the Holy Spirit as flesh and Spirit can not mix as the flesh is a hostile enemy against the Spirit of God, Romans 8:1-8.

I have been sworn at by other Christians, called a blasphemer and that I was of my father the devil for what I tried to share in Christian chats sites. I’m not characterizing all Christian chat sites because I have not been in all of them. I do consider CF one of the better sites I have ever gone into and one thing I do try to express is that I tell people please do not believe a word I or anyone else says unless we back ourselves up with scripture so others can read and study for themselves through the Holy Spirit so they can discern what is being said or taught to be truth or error.

We as a Christian have all been given the same gifts from God and those gifts are to be used to lift up and edify one another. The greatest gift of all is the gift of love that we should be displaying as a Christian to help draw all others unto Christ by allowing the love of Christ shine through us. Many people say they have accepted Christ, but by the fruits of their mouth God will judge their heart and condemn those who have only mirrored the words of repentance as they condemn themselves by what comes out of their mouths, Matthew 7:21.

We are instructed in Ephesians 5:1-12 to avoid foolishness and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove or rebuke them instead. We are not little children anymore, but are to be mature adults especially if we are calling ourselves a Christian as we mature in the word of God and display Christ in us and through us. When I was a child I use to get into many fights with those who opposed me or my family, but then I grew up to have compassion towards my enemies as I drew closer to the Lord and he taught me how to pray for my enemies.

I never knew how cruel Christians could be towards each other until I started going to church and heard the backbiting and gossip that would come out of some of their mouths, including the Pastors mouth also. I was devastated by the words they spoke and the condemnation they put on other Christians. This is why so many refuse to accept Jesus and even set foot in a church because they judge the whole church or the body of Christ by those hypocrites that look good on the outside, but are full of dead mans bones, Matthew 23: 13-33.

It’s not this evil world or even the ruler of darkness that we need to be concerned about as this world will wax worse and worse, but we need to be concerned about how we are representing Christ to the world. There is an old saying that goes something like this that you can catch more flies with honey then you can with vinegar and if we want to draw those lost souls to the honey, or to the love of Christ, then we must display Christ in us and through us by allowing the love of Christ shine out to others, 2Corinthians 4:4; 1John 1:7.

Galatians 5:22 but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Galatians 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:24 and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit.

As a Christian examine yourself to see if you are truly walking in the fruits of the Spirit as everyday when we awake we need to start our day by crucifying our flesh and put on the full armor of God to stand against the evilness that calls itself a Christian, but is only a wolf in sheep’s clothing seeking whom they can devour, 1Peter 5:8.

1Thessians 5:9 for God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Thessians 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
1Thessians 5:11 Therefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
 
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