你有甚么身份?
加拉太书二章17至21节
17我们若求在基督里称义,却仍旧是罪人,难道基督是叫人犯罪的么?断乎不是!
18我素来所拆毁的,若重新建造,这就证明自己是犯罪的人。
19我因律法,就向律法死了,叫我可以向神活着。
20我已经与基督同钉十字架,现在活着的不再是我,乃是基督在我里面活着;并且我如今在肉身活着,是因信神的儿子而活;他是爱我,为我舍己。
21我不废掉神的恩;义若是借着律法得的,基督就是徒然死了。
信息分享
保罗在这段经文中,似乎仍然引用他在安提阿对彼得所讲的话。他在第15节说「我们这生来的犹太人……」,是指彼得和其他来自耶路撒冷的人。接着他说:「当我们犹太人来到基督面前,才发现不单外邦人是罪人,我们犹太人也是。」全都是罪人,并无种族、国籍之分。
保罗在第19节指出,律法告诉我们一个事实:不拘是犹太人或外邦人,全都是罪人,因为我们都违背了神的律法,都要接受定罪,而罪的刑罚就是死。然而,基督却为我们的罪受死;人既已死,律法便再不能指控他了。律法不能罚同一个人两次,人对律法而言已是死的。
对基督徒来说,他已因着基督的死而向律法是死的;但他也是借着基督才能活着。他脱离律法之后,再不可任意而行,反之,他只能「为神而活」。
保罗在第20节说得非常清楚:「我已经与基督同钉十字架,现在活着的不再是我,乃是基督在我里面活着!」这是一种截然不同的生活方式!
你可以想出我们在哪些方面与基督认同吗?
1. 我们与祂同死。
2. 我们与祂一同埋葬。
3. 我们与祂一同复活。
4. 我们如今仿佛与祂一同活在天上。
5. 我们将会与祂一同再来(如果我们在祂再来之前死去的话)。
6. 我们将会与祂一同作王。
这是何等奇妙的福音!在神的眼中,我们是活在基督里,所以已经发生在基督身上,或将会发生在祂身上的事,神都看为发生在我们身上。赞美主!认识基督真是何等大的乐事!
WHAT IS OUR POSITION?
Galatians 2:17-21
17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!
18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Message
Do you remember in our first study in Galatians, we stated that there are some difficult sections in this epistle? We have come to one of them. What can we do with it? Let's read it again and ask the Lord to help our understanding.
In this passage it would seem that Paul is still quoting from what he said to Peter at Antioch. In verse 15 he spoke to Peter and the others, "We who are Jews..." Then he said (v.17), "When we Jews come to Christ, we discover that not just the Gentiles are sinners, we Jews are too." All are sinners - everyone is a sinner.
In verse 19 Paul points out that the Law tells us that truth - that we, both Jews and Gentiles, are sinners and worthy of death. We have broken the Law of God and are under its condemnation. But Christ has died for us. When a person dies, the Law no longer has any claim on him. The Law cannot punish the same man twice. He is dead to the Law.
Now in the case of a Christian, he has died to the Law through Christ's death. But he is also alive through Christ. He is not free from the Law to live any way he wants to, but to "live unto God".
Paul says it so plainly in verse 20, "I was crucified with Christ when He died. But I am alive spiritually now as well as physically. Actually it is Christ living in me!" What a wonderful way to live!
How many ways can you think of in which we are identified with Christ?
1. We died with Him.
2. We were buried with Him.
3. We rose again with Him.
4. We are seen as if in heaven with Him.
5. We will come again with Him (if we die before He returns).
6. We will reign with Him.
What a marvellous gospel! God sees us in Christ as if everything that has happened to Christ or will happen to Christ has also happened or will happen to us. Praise the Lord! Aren't you glad you know Christ?

