I’ve Got A Secret Series

One of the most powerful truths in the Bible is found in verse 20 of Galatians chapter two.

Hudson Taylor called this ‘his spiritual secret’.

Years ago I heard Charles Stanley preach about how God changed his life in a dramatic way. He said it happened when he read a book by Raymond Edman called ‘They found the Secret’. 20 people whose lives were changed because they found this secret of an Exchanged life.

It is described in the book in many ways: Oswald Chambers called it the HIGHEST LIFE. Andrew Murray called it the ABIDING LIFE. Amy Carmichael called it the RADIANT LIFE. Charles Finney called it the POWERFUL LIFE. D.L. Moody called it the DYNAMIC LIFE. Others called it the VICTORIOUSLIFE, the BURNING LIFE, the UNCHAINED LIFE, the OVERFLOWING LIFE or the SATISFYING LIFE. DOES ANY OF THAT SOUND LIKE SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT? What is this secret?

There have been over one billion people who have become Christians in the last 2,000 years. But only one person has ever lived the Christian life, and that is Jesus Christ. Only One Who can. The average Christian knows far more about how to BECOME one than how to BE one.

Two things you need to know about this secret.

1) You will naturally forget it. If you just do what you naturally do it will disappear from your life.

2) You are surrounded by those who will steal it from you. Just like in Paul’s day we have people who are more interested in you being like them than being like Jesus Christ. Say what they say, do what they do, sing what they sing…etc

The message of the book of Galatians is to recognize and experience the freedom that is ours in Christ. The dangers that we face that would steal that away from us are found in chapters 1 & 2.

a. False message which is not the true gospel: legalism of Paul’s day and tolerance & self-esteem of our day.

• False actions of adding things to our relationship with Christ which come from us and not from Him. Requirements and rituals to gain favor.

• This life God offers us in Christ can easily be lost because we won’t naturally find it but we can understand and apply it when we discover what is possible because of who we now are in Christ. Verse 20 helps us to understand this life.

20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me.

Wonderful was the experience that had come in answer to prayer, yet so simple as almost to baffle description...Hudson Taylor

THINGS I NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE THIS SECRET KNOWN THROUGH MY LIFE

I AM NO LONGER WHO I USED TO BE

CHRIST IS NO LONGER WHERE HE USED TO BE

I CAN NO LONGER THINK HOW I USED TO THINK

I AM NO LONGER WHO I USED TO BE

"

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live,

Dead people make the best Christians. Too many of us are very much alive.

a) Look at our goals, study our daily agendas or even listen to our prayers we are very much at the center of it all. We are very much alive in ourselves.

Before we can be wed we must be dead. We must attend our own funeral before we are ready to be the Bride of Christ.

Paul makes an amazing statement that we need to understand is true about us if we are truly born again in Christ. WE ARE CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST.

HUDSON TAYLOR called this the EXCHANGED LIFE. Most Christians only understand the ‘Exchanged Life’ at the entry level of our relationship with Christ.

2 Cor 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. WE EXCHANGED OUR SIN FOR HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

Paul is sharing the wonderful truth that when Jesus hung on the cross that not only were our sins placed upon Him that He might pay the penalty for them in His death there but also we were placed in HIM that WHEN HE DIED TO THIS WORLD WE DIED TO THIS WORLD. What happened to Christ literally happened to us spiritually.

I DIED BEFORE I WAS BORN. Over 1900 years before I entered this world physically God says I spiritually died on a cross with Jesus.

a. His death paid the penalty for my sin.

b. His death paved the way for my life in this world