Monday's Motivation

   Today's motivation comes from the letter of Galatians. The Galatian churches that Paul had founded were beginning to fall back into some crazy theology pertaining to adhering to the Law of Moses. So Paul around A.D. 50 wrote this letter to the Galatian churches. In verse 20 of chapter 2 we read, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is not longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

 …Crucified with Christ… (What does this mean and what does it have to do with me?)

            A. Paul was a new creation. His inner man (who he was inside; motives) was now inhabited by Christ rather than sinful self.

           B. So when we talk about being crucified with Christ we mean our old self before we were Christians. Because when you accept Christ and become a Christian you live for a different motive. Your heart is now motivated by a passion to glorify Christ rather than yourself.
            C.  Being crucified with Christ means you have a new life in Christ and it’s totally different from your old life without Him. You’ve got a new motivation for living.

D. When your old self dies and Christ lives fully in you, all that’s left is what God planned for you in the first place. There’s nothing better or more satisfying than that.

E. Colossians 3:1 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.”

            1. Paul is telling those of us that are in Christ to set our heart or treasure what is in heaven. It’s saying that life will be better lived if it is lived with the power that comes from heaven.

            2. You will handle success. Failure, and disappointment with maturity and poise when you have an eternal perspective, when you look at today’s events, good or bad, in light of eternity.

                        3. Is today’s ‘crisis’ worth all the anxiety, worry, and pain in light of an eternal perspective? Will it matter when you get to heaven? Since you’ve been crucified with Christ and raised to a new life with Him, then think about things with a heavenly mind set. Allow your thoughts to be shaped by a heart motivated to please and honor the Lord.