Freedom from Self-Reliance

One of the most quoted verses in all of Christianity is also one of the most misunderstood.

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." - Galatians 2:20

It sounds beautiful on a plaque or a screen saver. But do we really understand what it means to live it out?

Why Paul Wrote to the Galatians

The Book of Galatians has been called the Magna Carta of evangelical Christianity. Its dominant theme is freedom, specifically freedom from legalism, from the fear of man, from evil desire, and from self-reliance.

Paul wrote to the church in Galatia because a group known as the Judaizers had crept in and were telling new believers that faith in Jesus was not enough. They insisted that following the religious law was also required. Paul pushed back hard, declaring that Jesus brings freedom from that kind of bondage.

Paul Before and After Christ: A Radical Transformation

Paul was not always the champion of grace. Before his conversion, he was one of the most zealous enforcers of religious law. He described his former life this way: "advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age, and extremely zealous." - Galatians 1:14

He was so convinced that followers of Jesus were a threat to the Jewish faith that He had them arrested, imprisoned, and even executed.

Then, on the road to Damascus, everything changed. A blinding light knocked him to the ground and a voice from heaven said, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" It was Jesus. From that moment on, Paul was radically transformed. The man who once imprisoned believers became one of the most fearless voices for the gospel the world has ever seen.

What Does It Mean to Be Crucified with Christ?

Galatians 2:20 is not just a verse to memorize. It is a declaration of identity, behavior, purpose, and future. Paul is saying: my desires are dead. My plans are dead. The life I now live is entirely about Jesus.

That is not a popular message. In a culture built on self-promotion, self-improvement, and independence, telling someone they need to die to themselves is not exactly a compelling sales pitch. And yet, it is the heart of the gospel.

As Rick Warren wrote in the very first line of The Purpose Driven Life : "Life is not about you."

Why the Cross Is Central to Christianity

Crucifixion is brutal, painful, and ugly. We naturally avoid those things. But the cross is the focal point of Christianity, not in spite of what it represents, but because of it.

Jesus Himself said in Luke 9: "If anyone would come after me, let Him deny Himself and take up His cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." - Luke 9:23-24

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who was imprisoned and ultimately killed for standing against Hitler, understood this deeply. He wrote in The Cost of Discipleship : "When Christ calls a man, He bids Him come and die."

Following Jesus has always come with a cost. The cross was not a piece of jewelry in the first century. It was a symbol of execution. And yet it is the very thing that sets us free.

What Being Crucified with Christ Actually Looks Like

So what does this look like in everyday life? Here are some practical realities of what it means to be crucified with Christ:

Yielding control. It means releasing the need to be in charge of your life, your family, your circumstances. Being in control is exhausting. Surrendering that to God is not weakness. It is wisdom.
Greater trust and dependence on God. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths." Most of us want the fourth part without doing the first three.
Serving instead of being served. The posture of a crucified life is one of humility and service, not status.
Allowing God to change your desires. When people truly surrender to God, He does not just help them stop doing harmful things. He changes what they want. The old desires lose their grip.
More humility, greater influence. Scripture is clear: God gives grace to the humble. And where the grace of God flows, influence follows.
Absolute and total surrender. Not partial. Not conditional. Everything.

Are You So Foolish? Paul's Challenge to the Galatians and to Us

After laying out the beauty of life in Christ, Paul turns and asks the Galatian church some pointed questions. In Galatians 3:1-3 he writes: "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?... Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"

In other words: God started something in you. Do you really think you are going to finish it on your own?

This question is just as relevant today. Many believers start their walk with God in total dependence. Then, over time, experience, education, and life wisdom creep in. Slowly, the dependence on God gets replaced by confidence in self. And Paul calls that foolishness.

It is not that wisdom and experience are bad. It is that no amount of either replaces the need for God's power working through a surrendered life.

The Resurrection Requires a Death First

Many believers want the resurrection power of God without the crucifixion. We want the Spirit of God to move mightily in our lives, but we are not willing to put our desires, plans, and pride on the altar.

Paul wrote in Philippians that he wanted to know Christ "and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings." - Philippians 3:10. We often quote the first part and skip the second. But there is no resurrection without a death first.

D.L. Moody, one of the most influential evangelists in history, said: "The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to Him." That statement reportedly changed Moody's entire approach to following Jesus. He determined to be that man.

What Satan Cannot Do to a Dead Person

Here is a truth worth sitting with. Satan's most powerful weapon is death. He used it on Jesus and it did not work. And here is the thing about dead people: they are very difficult to kill. You cannot threaten someone who has already surrendered everything.

When we are truly crucified with Christ, when our desires, plans, and futures are laid down, Satan's greatest weapon loses its power. Because the Spirit living inside a surrendered believer is the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.

Life Application

This week, identify one area of your life where you are still trying to be in control. It might be a relationship, a decision, a fear, or a habit. Whatever it is, bring it before God and practice the posture of surrender. Read Galatians 2:20 out loud each morning this week and let it be your daily declaration, not just a verse you know, but a life you are choosing to live.

Ask yourself these questions:

Where in my life am I depending on my own strength, wisdom, or experience instead of trusting God?
Are there desires, habits, or plans I am holding onto that I have never truly surrendered to Him?
What would it look like this week to take up my cross daily in a specific and practical way?