Understanding the Faith of Jesus in Galatians 2:20

Galatians 2:20

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.

The faith of Jesus mentioned in Galatians 2:20 is the living, personal faith that Christ Himself exercised while in human flesh, which becomes our own through the indwelling of His Spirit. 🕊️

The Identity of the Faith

When we look at Galatians 2:20 we see a distinction between our belief in Him and the actual faith of Him. It is not merely a human effort to believe, but the very faith that Jesus used to overcome the world.

• Christ’s Personal Faith: Jesus lived His life in the flesh by a total dependence on the Father. We are called to live by "the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" Galatians 2:20.

• The Source of Righteousness: Righteousness is not something we manufacture; it is the "righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe" Romans 3:22.

• A Gift Imparted: God deals to every soul a "measure of faith" Romans 12:3. This is a divine gift that allows us to appropriate the life of Christ Ephesians 2:8.

The Crucifixion of Self

The faith of Jesus works by first putting to death the "old man" of sin. This is a literal, spiritual reality that occurs when we surrender our will to God.

• Co-Crucifixion: We do not have to wonder if we can overcome sin, because "I am crucified with Christ" Galatians 2:20. Our old nature was taken to the cross in His human nature Romans 6:6.

• A Daily Experience: This crucifixion is not a one-time event but a constant state of being. We must say with the Apostle, "I die daily" 1 Corinthians 15:31.

• Victory Over the Flesh: When self is kept on the cross through faith, the "body of sin" is destroyed, and we are no longer servants to our own lusts Romans 6:6.

The Indwelling Life

The true beauty of Galatians 2:20 is the exchange of lives. We give Him our sinful, broken life, and He gives us His perfect, victorious life.

• Christ Within: The secret of the Christian walk is "not I, but Christ lives in me" Galatians 2:20. He dwells in our hearts specifically through faith Ephesians 3:17.

• Living in the Flesh: While we still occupy these mortal bodies, the quality of the life we lead is changed. The life we now live "in the flesh," we live by the "faith of the Son of God" Galatians 2:20.

• The Power of Love: This faith is not a cold, intellectual assent; it is a "faith which works by love" Galatians 5:6. Because "love is the fulfilling of the law" Romans 13:10, the indwelling Christ naturally fulfills the requirements of God's law within us Romans 8:4.

The Result: Keeping the Commandments

The end goal of receiving the faith of Jesus is to produce a character that reflects the image of God and keeps His precepts.

• The Standard of the Saints: In the final days, God's people are identified by two characteristics: "here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" Revelation 14:12.

• Fulfilling the Law: We do not keep the law to be saved, but because we are saved by the life of Christ within us. The faith of Jesus brings the "righteousness of the law" to be fulfilled in those who "walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" Romans 8:4.

• Total Liberty: This life of faith sets us free from the "bondage of sin" John 8:34-36 and brings us into the "perfect law of liberty" James 1:25.

By accepting the truth of Galatians 2:20 we stop trying to work for God and instead let God work in us "both to will and to do of his good pleasure" Philippians 2:13. ✨