Ga 2:11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. 14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 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. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (KJV)
Introduction – Somehow in the body of Christ, there seems to be little difference between our attitude towards race as those who do not yet know the Lord. Have ever took a close look at how race relations were dealt with in the Scriptures? Most of us are familiar with this passage of Scripture. After the establishment of the Christian Church in Antioch, Peter visited that church and found a church filled several different cultures, nationalities, filled with the Spirit, all living in harmony. Peter experienced such a wonderful level of Christians fellowship that is so rare today. They were eating together and enjoying each other. Probably this was the first time, Peter was not concerned about the food being kosher, or who sitting next to him or where these people were from. Peter was free to accept all of them as members of the family of God. In this Church, their relationship with Jesus Christ superseded all other identifications. They were Christians first. They took their identity from Christ. Prejudice cannot exist when our identity in found in Christ first.
After seeing some visitors came from Jerusalem, fear swept over Peter so much so that he separated himself from the Christian Gentiles causing others to follow his example. Racism and prejudice is so strong, it can cause good men to go bad. It can drive others in silence or modify their action. Not other did Peter actions effect other Jews, it affected Barnabus. Barnabus, the son of consolation, who raised in a Roam colony on Cyrus. He had been raised with Gentiles, went to school with Gentiles, yet he separated himself from the Christian gentiles that were present. The text says, “I (Paul) withstood him (Peter)to his face, “But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel.” Notice, Paul withstood not because of racism or injustice, it was that Peter was not walking upright according to the gospel.
You see racism and injustice continues in this great country because there are so many (so called Christians) who fail to walk not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel. They are something else first, then Christian. They are white Christian or Black Christian, etc. Believers are Christians first. When we are Christians first, we are better everything else. Paul compelling argument settles on verse 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.” Paul too was a free born Jew, a keeper of the law, a pharisee of the pharisees, circumcised the eighth day according to the law, practiced the dietary restrictions and more. Yet when He met Christ, he was changed because of something Christ took for Him. There are seven pronouns in this short verse, and it is the most complete description of the Christian life.
(1) He was changed because Christ took something from him: His old life. “I am crucified with Christ.”
In this statement of Paul’s, the verb tense is perfect; that is, the action has been completed in the past with continuing results. This happened because of Christ. Paul could not crucify himself, neither can we. Paul the Apostle went beyond simply saying Christ was crucified for him. He said I was crucified with Christ. It is a fact, Jesus did it, not him. It was done long ago, but it has a continuing effect today. As the Lord Jesus hung on Calvary’s cross, those in the crowd saw one man on the center cross. But God the Father saw not only just Christ but you and all others who would put their faith in Him hanging there. We come to Christ; God takes our old life from us. We are crucified with Christ. In the first century a person carrying the cross meant only one thing: he was going to die. We are to take up our cross and live like dead men and women to our old identity in the world. Our identity in Christ changed everything because Christ took something from us-our old life!
(2) Christ put something in us: New life. “..nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me..” The new life in Christ is not reformed or improved life or even changed life, It is an exchanged life. We give God our old life, and He gives us one that is brand new. The apostle Paul died to his old self-centered life and awakened to a new life in Christ. While many say, Not Christ but I, the believers say, “Not I but Christ!.” Think of this awesome thought: “Christ lives in me.” If we could literally awaken to this relation, we would be on the way to turning our world upside down like those of the early church. There is no way to defeat a man who truly believes that Christ is alive and has taken up permanent residency in him. Christ took something from us, put something in us and He gave something for us.
(3) Christ gave something for us: His own life. “… 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.” There are two realities I wish the whole world could know: God love you and He gave Himself for you. The phrase speaks of appoint bin time when God’s great love took Him to the cross and there willingly gave himself for you and me. Think of it: Jesus proved His love, He died in our place. His love died my death so that I could live his life. He gave himself for me and gave me a new identity. I am a Christian first. I am a Christian, democrat or republican; a Christian first, a lawyer or doctor. Christian is my identity, it my noun. My adjective maybe my race, my political party, my denomination, my occupation, or my title, etc. But Christlike is who I am.
Why? 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. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
To receive our identity from any thing other than Christ is to frustrate the grace of God. It means that all Christ for us is in vain. Christ did not come to improve, give me a better outlook, or just prosper me. He took something from me, my old life; he gave something to me, a complete new life and identity; He gave something for me, he loved me and gave himself for me. True Christians and that’s the only kind, don’t have to meet and discuss racism, social justice, we must simply let our light so shine that the world can see Christ in us the hope of Glory!
