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.

Galatians 2:20 (KJV)

Context

The Apostle Paul wrote Galatians to the churches in Galatia, where false teachers were urging Gentile believers to keep the Jewish law in order to be saved. Paul answers by defending the gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. In the verses just before this one, he explains that through the law he died to the law so that he might live to God, and he warns that if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died in vain.

Meaning

“I am crucified with Christ” describes the believer’s spiritual identification with Jesus in His death. This is not a literal crucifixion but a union with Christ that happens through faith. The old self, with its sinful nature, has been put to death, so the believer is no longer controlled by that old identity.

“Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” points to the new life that comes through this union. The indwelling Christ empowers and transforms the believer from within. Life is no longer self-centered but Christ-centered, guided by His Spirit and directed toward His will.

“And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God” speaks of the believer’s ongoing journey in the present physical body. This life is sustained by personal, daily dependence on Christ—trusting His grace, resting in His promises, and obeying His commands. The Christian life is not merely moral improvement but a supernatural exchange: Christ’s death for our sin and His life in us.

The verse closes with the deeply personal words “who loved me, and gave himself for me.” This is not a general love but an individual love that led Christ to lay down His life as the payment for sin. Recognizing such sacrificial love should lead to gratitude, devotion, and a selfless life lived for Him.

Application

Because the old self is crucified with Christ, believers are free from sin’s dominion and need not live according to the flesh. Because Christ lives in us, we can daily yield to His Spirit rather than to selfish desires. Because we live by faith in the Son of God, every ordinary moment becomes an opportunity to trust Him. And because He loved us and gave Himself for us personally, our response is a life of thankful surrender.

Reflection

Paul’s words are both a declaration of identity and a call to daily dependence. The life we now live is not our own; it is Christ living in us. Let us ask ourselves whether we are living by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us.