The Way of The Cross
Galatians 2:20-21

We're in a series on Galatians. If you have a Bible please turn there with me -- to Galatians chapter 2 verse 20.

You'll remember from last Sunday that the basic question raised by the book of Galatians is "Where will I put my trust for salvation?" And that basic question is illustrated by the cross and the ladder.

The message of Galatians is in essence this: The way of the cross is incompatible with the way of the ladder. Paul's plea to the Galatians is not to abandon the cross for the ladder. He pleads with them to cling to the cross, to follow the way of the cross.


What does it mean to follow the way of the cross?

Galatians 2:20 -- I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.

The cross means death.

Not just Jesus' death. But my death. Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ." In other words, "I am dead." And in Romans ch. 6 Paul says the same thing. He tells the Roman Christians, "You have been baptized into his death"; "United with him in death"; Your "old self was crucified"; "You died with Christ."

Clearly there is some sense in which I am dead.

But what sense? I don't feel dead. I hope I don't look dead. What does it mean to be crucified with Christ and to "be united with him in death."

We have a children's story at home about a small boy named John Porter. John Porter wants a powerman for his birthday. He gets colored pencils. So John Porter spends the afternoon working out his fantasies by drawing powermen on his mother's new wall paper. Then he realizes with horror what he has done. And he knows that there is no way out for John Porter -- especially since John Porter signed his name to the pictures. So he comes up with an ingenious plan. John Porter will cease to exist. He is will no longer be John Porter. He will be Daryl. [Read excerpts]

John Porter grasped a profound truth. The only way to escape the penalty of sin is to stop being John Porter. John Porter had to die.

When I came to the cross, in the eyes of God, which is the only reality that matters, Dan Brown died. Dan Brown the hypocrite, the liar, the self-centered. Dan Brown the greedy, the rude, the lazy, the self-indulgent, the vengeful, the angry. Before God, that Dan Brown is dead -- nailed up to the cross.

When God looks at me, he does not see that Dan Brown. He does not see the Dan Brown laden down with guilty and shame, deserving death.

What does he see? Galatians 2:20 again: "I have been Crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."

The Cross means Christ living in me

When you look at a picture you do not see the glass, but the picture behind the glass. When God looks at us, he sees not Dan Brown -- Dan Brown is dead -- he sees Christ in me. So what he sees is not the weakness and sin and guilt -- he sees the beauty and perfection and righteousness of Jesus.

Luther writes, "You are so entirely joined unto Christ, that He and you are made as it were one person: so that you may boldly say, I am now one with Christ, that is to say, Christ's righteousness, victory and life are mine."

Now this is amazing -- almost unbelievable.

PROBLEM: There's a big gap between this doctrine and my experience. Most of the time I don't feel like Jesus. It's all very well for Paul to say that Christ lives in me. How do I get from the words to the reality?

Our temptation when we face this gap is to say "well I need to try harder." I am supposed to be like Jesus, I don't feel like Jesus, so I had better work harder at it. So I buy a WWJD bracelet and a copy of the Imitation of Christ and I try really hard to be like Jesus. And I end up right back on the ladder.

It's like this: Let's say that you aspire to be an artist, like John Tetreault. Most of you have seen John's drawing that hangs in the nursery. Let's say that I put that drawing in front of you and gave you all pencils and large pieces of paper and say -- I want you to copy that drawing. Many of you would crumple in despair. Those of you who fancy yourselves artists might give it a try. But you could never copy it perfectly.

But imagine that the artist himself came up and put his hand over your hand, and guided your hand. Or imagine that the artist could somehow get himself inside your head so that your every stroke was made by him.

Remember when you were a child, writing the Alphabet for the first time, or drawing a picture, and your Mom or Dad or Teacher put their hand over your hand. And perhaps you fought it? To live by faith is to release your hand to Jesus, to allow him to draw the picture. The essence of the Christian life is not so much to for us to try really hard to be like Jesus. The life of faith is to believe that he is in us, and to allow his life to flow freely out of us.

A practical example may help: When we moved a few months ago, we rented a truck from UHaul. We have given UHaul alot of business in recent years! When I returned the truck, after an exhausting day of moving, the manager at UHaul looked it over and said, "Where's the mirror." I said, "What mirror?" I had never seen any mirror there. But of course I had to pay for the mirror that, as far as I was concerned, had never been there and that I certainly had not lost. I was angry, and I let the UHaul manager know that I was angry. "I have given you ALOT of business in the last few years," I said. "But I want you to know that for $12 you have permanently lost a customer. I will never be coming back here." And I stomped off. I knew almost as soon as I left what I should do. I knew that I should go back and apologize. My reaction had been sinful and evil. But I couldn't do it. I didn't have the courage or the will to go back. Then one day I was driving to an appointment and I had an extra 20 minutes. And I knew what I needed to do with those 20 minutes, but I didn't want to. So I said, "Lord, I can't do this on my own, but if you will do it for me, I will stop resisting." And it was not me that steered that car, and it was not me that walked in to the UHaul place, and it was not my words. I was scared, I was resistant -- it was Christ in me who did it. I can take no credit for any special righteousness, and I don't give this example because I am proud of it. I have nothing to be proud of in myself.

"The Life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God."

The way of the cross is not trying to make myself into something acceptable to God. That is to get back on the ladder. The way of the cross is simply to accept, by faith, the picture that God has of me, and to allow his life to be lived out through me.

As we prepare for communion, I'd like to encourage you to look at this cross -- and with eyes of faith see your old self hanging there, quite dead. That person you were is no longer with us.

And then, as you think about the elements of communion, let them remind you that Christ now lives in you. These are only matzo and grape juice. In themselves they are nothing. But they symbolize a spiritual reality that is priceless.

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May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. (1 Thess. 4:23-24 )