No Longer I

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. 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.” — Galatians 2:20 (NIV)

In a world of carefully curated social profiles and self-made identities, Paul’s declaration hits like a thunderclap: “I no longer live.” What does that mean for someone navigating the pressures of modern life—career, family, social expectations? To be “crucified with Christ” is not a metaphor we wear lightly. It’s a surrender so complete; it rewrites the story of who we are. It carries the stark image—not of who we were, but of who we are becoming through Christ.

Paul’s words evoke the cross—not as a distant relic, but as a present reality. Crucifixion was brutal. It was final. And yet—through Christ—it becomes the gateway to transformation. We are not asked to replicate Christ’s atonement—that was his alone. But we are invited into the mystery: that through his death, our old selves—marked by striving, shame, and separation—are put to death too.

In the 21st century, this means letting go of identities built on performance, perfection, or pain. It means trusting that the life Christ lives in us is more real, more rooted, than any mask we wear. The hope is not in our ability to change, but in Christ’s power to live through us.

To be crucified with Christ is to say: “I am no longer the center.” It’s a daily relinquishing of control, a quiet death to ego, and a bold yes to grace. In practice, it might look like forgiving when it’s hard, choosing truth over image, or resting when the world demands hustle. It’s not passive—it’s participatory. In dying with Christ, we live by faith, not by formula.

Christ, who was crucified and now lives, teach us what it means to die with you—to lay down our striving, our shame, our self-made stories. Live in us anew. Let your love be the pulse of our days, your grace the ground beneath our feet. May our lives echo your resurrection, bold and surrendered, crucified and alive. Amen.

Peace & Grace,

Pastor Tim