Crucified With Christ

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

The state of a Christian is a seeming paradox. No marvel the things of God are foolishness to natural men, and that we are accounted fools for Christ by them; for the truths of God, as well as the life of His children, appear to be absurd to them. But "the life of Jesus is made manifest in our flesh."—II Corinthians 4:11. Hence He saith, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself."—Matthew. 16:24. Deny the PRIDE of his own righteousness, the corrupt LUSTS of his sinful flesh, and own Me as his life, and follow Me as his Lord in the regeneration; in this crucifixion of nature, this death to every hope but Jesus, this life of faith on Him, consists the peace, love, holiness, and joy of our souls; this springs from love, excites to love, and is nourished by love; so we enjoy heaven below. 

Thus is heaven above insured to us. Blessed life! happy believer! to feel Christ living in thee, to live on Him by faith. Envy you, ye sons of folly and vanity! we do not join with you in your carnal delights we cannot; joys infinitely superior are ours; pity you, indeed we do; nor with you, ye sons of the bond-woman, can we live on our works and duties, derive life from terms we fulfil, and conditions we perform; as if for so much work we earn so much wages: our God owes us nothing; yet He gave His Son freely, "that we might live through Him." 

The beloved Son of God Himself is our life, our all; though wretched, guilty, damnable creatures by nature and practice, yet astonishing grace! "He loved us, and gave Himself for us." Of this we are bold and confident; this truth bears the divine impress; the Lord hath confirmed it with an oath; here to admit the least doubt is base and unreasonable: the life of faith springs from truth itself, and is as contrary to doubting as it is to sensuality; yet, while in the flesh, it will be opposed by both. But is every believer in Jesus assured with Paul, "Christ loved ME, and gave himself for ME"? 

No: though this knowledge is essential to the comfort of our souls, yet not to the being of faith in the heart, nor is it the object of faith; yet it is the joyful privilege of every believer, and as such is earnestly to be coveted, and all diligence given to attain it; we are loved with the same love, saved by the same truth, the same faith given us by the same Spirit which Paul had, and to the same end to make us holy and happy; and the Comforter, Who testifies of Jesus in the word, will sooner or later also bear witness to the heart, and fill the soul with the fruits of faith and the joy of assurance; every faithful, abiding soul in the Lamb shall rejoice to say, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with my spirit, that I am a child of God."—Romans 8:16.

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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