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.

If you are reading this “Verse of the Day,” it is likely you have experienced a life-altering event in your life. Perhaps it was the death of a loved one that turned your life circumstances around, an accident that did the same. More positively, perhaps an individual influenced you to pursue higher endeavors educationally and professionally. Now, you may be saying to yourself that you haven’t experienced anything of the kind, but I still submit to you that your life has been altered spiritually. It’s when you acknowledged that the redemptive work of Christ was for you. This is exactly what Paul is saying happened to him. This is a description of Paul’s life-altering experience.

Our verse richly encapsulates the profound transformation that happens in the life of a believer in Christ. The context of this well-known verse, often memorized by believers as a summary of their own testimony of their relationship to Christ, arises out of an interesting backdrop.

Having preached the Gospel and planted churches throughout the highly Gentile-populated areas of Macedonia and Galatia, Paul, and his missionary partners, Barnabas and Titus, travel back to Jerusalem to give both a report and offering to the mother church. It was there that Paul received confirmation from the church leadership, including Peter, that the Gospel should be preached by Paul to the Gentiles, alleviating many of the Judaistic customs that seemed essential to Jewish believers.

These Jews were struggling to realize that faith in Christ colossally changed one’s life! Now, there was no need for sacrifice. Now, there was no difference between Jew and Gentile. Now, the fellowship between both should be blended—life as a believer was altered!

Finding both Peter and Paul soon after this Jerusalem conference in Antioch (Syria), Paul noticed both Peter and Barnabas separating themselves from eating (i.e., socializing) with Gentile believers, for the sake of appeasing the “circumcision party.”

Though Paul’s actions may have caused an uproar, he stands to “oppose him [Peter] to his face” (Galatians 2:11-12). He reminds him that there is no “work” or social norm that places one in right relationship with Christ. There are no “works of the law” that can conjure any personal justification before God. We can imagine that Peter, who knew full well what life-altering experiences are all about, both physically and spiritually, sheepishly received this exhortation.

Paul goes on to remind himself and the church throughout the ages that one’s faith arises from a spiritual crucifixion—a spirit-altering experience of yielding the heart and mind into union with Christ in his death. This is the only way we can live! For Paul and all faithful believers, our “crucifixion” is a complete relinquishment of the old self―our sin nature. Our death to sin provides the opportunity for Christ to live in us. Day by day, year by year, life is changed by the motivating love that emanated from the cross and helps us exercise a life of faithful obedience in the “Son of God.”

These days, before the Church’s “victory celebration” of the resurrection of Christ, provide an opportunity for all believers to monitor the impact of their own spiritual crucifixion. Having altered our lives to yield to an obedience that honors our risen Savior, allow the resourceful power of the Spirit of God to move you in exciting new ways, far altered from the pathways of the old nature (Ephesians 4:20-24), and to grow more in love with your Savior.

By Bill Niblette, Ph.D., Bible League International contributor, Pennsylvania U.S.