I was introduced to the depths and riches
of God's Word from Galatians 2.20 by
my homiletical mentor, Dr. Stephen F.
Olford, whose life verse and ministry principle was
the crucified life.
In Galatians 2.20 we read, 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.
Every book Stephen Olford autographed, he wrote his
life verse beneath his name, Galatians 2.20.
In fact, the very first time I met
Stephen Olford, he was doing a book signing
at Bellevue Baptist Church for his biography entitled,
Only One Life.
And as he signed the books for a
long line of people, my wife leaned over
him and commented, my, what lovely handwriting you
have.
And I blurted out, well, of course he
has.
Look at all the practice he's getting, which
Dr. Olford got a big kick out of
that.
And I still have my copy of his
book with his inscription of Galatians 2.20.
It was his life verse and he drilled
it into my thick skull as he taught
me expository preaching and the doctrine of the
Spirit-filled life.
So many Christians miss the mark of the
abundant life in Christ.
Because they live an inconsistent life of ups
and downs and highs and lows and defeat
and discouragement.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
There is a path to the victorious life
in Christ Jesus.
And that path runs smack dab into a
cross.
On Calvary, the Son of God died under
the law's penalty and all the law's demands
were satisfied in Him.
And by dying with Christ, they have no
more hold on us.
Being crucified, moreover, means that we have died
to self.
Think of it, friends.
Think of the Christian life this way.
The Christian life is lived via the cross.
The cross stands between me and my past.
The cross stands between me and the world.
The cross stands between me and myself.
It's the Christ life for the self life
where self has gone to weigh the cross.
It's no longer I who live, but Christ
lives in me.
The indwelling Christ sitting upon the throne of
my heart.
Reigning there.
Ruling there.
With undisputed authority.
But there was a time in my life,
I remember it well, friends, where I had
to deal with this.
I had to face it.
I had to become honest with God and
admit my failures.
I had a cross on Rubicon, so to
speak, and there was no turning back.
It came on a particular day of prayer
where God spoke to my heart.
He said, if I am to use you
like few other men, then you will have
to live like few men do.
This was the final battleground between self and
the cross.
It was either future uselessness for God or
a life of uselessness for me.
Self had to be willingly annihilated daily on
the cross and there had to be a
full surrender to Christ's lordship in consecration from
that point forward until he came or called.
There was no turning back.
Well, how about you, friend?
Are you ready for a life of consistency
unto God?
Are you ready to embrace the crucified life?
It all begins with a surrender and it
ends with a submission.
You surrender all you are to all he
is and he is lord.
Then you submit to his lordship for your
daily living.
And this is where the power lies because
we need power from above.
Second Corinthians 3 17 declares now the lord
is that spirit and where the spirit of
the lord is there is liberty.
This can be understood where the spirit is
lord.
That is where he is given his true
deity and sovereignty.
There is liberty for when sin is exposed
and self is executed.
The holy spirit can filled overflowing and anoint
with authority and power.
When you get there, friend, you will not
want to ever go back to where you
were before.
For when you cross over your own personal
Rubicon, there is no turning back.