Living by Faith and Receiving God’s Love – The Daily Reality of Galatians 2:20
Part one of this topic can be found HERE.
Continuing in the same verse: “…the life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Life in the Body, Lived by Faith
Paul acknowledges that we still live in real bodies, facing real days—work, family, temptations, fatigue, and pressures. “In the flesh” doesn’t mean sinful living; it means ordinary human existence. Yet we don’t navigate this life by self-effort, law-keeping, or approval-seeking. We live it by faith—simple, ongoing trust in who Jesus is and what He has already accomplished.
Faith here is not a feeling. It is choosing to believe the truth about your new identity over circumstances, emotions, or past patterns. It looks like living from rest, much like doing something you love where hours fly by without it feeling like “work.”
Supporting Scriptures:
- Romans 12:1: Offer your bodies as living sacrifices.
- 2 Corinthians 4:11: “We who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
What “By Faith” Looks Like Practically
- When you fail: Instead of launching a self-improvement project to regain God’s favor, you run to Him as the already-forgiven one. “Jesus handled this on the cross. I am clean.”
- Romans 8:1 – No condemnation.
- Hebrews 10:14 – Perfected forever by one offering.
- When tempted: You don’t argue from guilt. You remind yourself: “I have been crucified with Christ. Christ’s life is now my life.”
- Romans 6:11, 14 – Dead to sin, alive to God, under grace not law.
- Under pressure: Stop proving yourself. Fix your eyes on Jesus and respond from His love instead of fear.
- Hebrews 12:2 – Looking to Jesus.
- Titus 2:11–12 – Grace trains us.
- In relationships: You love others from acceptance, not from trying to appear holy. You’ve been reconciled, so you become a minister of reconciliation.
- Ephesians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 5:18–19.
A Simple Translation to Remember: “Even though I still live in my human body, I refuse to live like my acceptance depends on me. I live by trusting Jesus(by faith)—His love, His death, and His resurrection life in me.”
The Heart of It All: Receiving God’s Love
“Who loved me and gave himself up for me.”
Most believers intellectually agree that God loves them. The daily challenge is receiving that love—especially on bad days, after failure, or when feelings scream otherwise.
Receiving is harder than believing because it’s not just information; it’s trusting the present reality of union with Christ when everything feels loud and contradictory. It means rejecting the old earning mindset and letting God’s finished work define you right now.
Why Receiving Feels Difficult (and How to Fight It):
- Old patterns whisper, “I’ll believe it when I feel worthy.”
- Feelings masquerade as facts.
- We ask, “Is it true for me today?” instead of living from “It is finished.”
- The enemy accuses to push us back under law.
Anchor Scriptures for Receiving:
- Romans 8:1 – No condemnation in Christ.
- Hebrews 10:10, 14 – Sanctified and perfected by one offering.
- 1 John 4:19; Romans 5:5; Ephesians 3:16–19 – God pours His love into our hearts and teaches us to live from it.
- John 19:30 – “It is finished.”
True Christian living flows from receiving: God initiates, pours in, and then expresses love through us to others.
Final Encouragement
Galatians 2:20 is an invitation to rest in a new identity. You are crucified with Christ. The old you is gone. Christ lives in you. Now go live your real life—work, relationships, challenges and all—by simple faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave Himself for you.
Let this truth shape your mornings, your failures, and your victories. You are not alone. Christ is in you, and that changes everything.
