"Living Unto God"

Galatians 2:16-21

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: neverthless 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.

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he concept expressed in verse 19 of our scripture text is difficult for most to understand. We are naturally born and bred to believe our lives to be important outside of God. Everything that we strive for and all that the World considers important makes it seemingly that much harder for us to get out of the way and serve God.

With sin and immorality as rampant as it is, it should come as no surprise that it is not important to many to live in a body of flesh, yet not be subject to it. The key to one's freedom from the tyranny of flesh is a desire to glorify God.

We seem to have no understanding of the fact that God does not intend for us to live the same life after salvation as before. The primary reason we are freed from this is that pre-salvation behaviors make us subject to, and condemned by, the law.

Though the law exists to give fleshly Man a penalty for living in the flesh, it offered only a penalty—not salvation. Salvation comes only in receiving the New Birth and keeping the "law" by the direction of the Spirit within.

We must understand that the law was established to show us exactly how pitiful we are. Surprisingly, no matter how diabolical one may have known who he was before salvation, far too many seem not to recognize how much they really needed Jesus and how bad they really were.

"Living unto God" requires a change of one's nature. Why? Because by nature we will commit sin. Therefore, the sinful nature of that man requires a change. Only one who is born of God will not sin.

Contrary to the most accepted and popular doctrine (even amongst those belonging to God) it is not true that no one is sinless. If this were true, then no one would be going to heaven. Obviously, Jesus was born, died, buried, and resurrected that we might be saved. This, and only this, is the point to our existence. If man had never been intended to be sinless, we would not have needed a Jesus.

There is much talk today concerning Jesus, holiness, sanctification and religion. Unfortunately, too much is just talk. Simply talking about Him, without partaking of His gospel, will get no one to heaven. We must always remain aware that the same scripture which leads one to salvation, is the same one which condemns.

"Living unto God" means that one will be a testimony to a lost and dying World. Too frequently, our testimony speaks that God cannot help us—baptized, filled and all. Living unto God requires a determination that nothing anyone says or does will change our actions or attitudes. That which characterizes such a person says that "you can do whatever you want to me—as long as I stay saved!" The determination that we all must have is that one can cause me to lose my position in, or with, God.

"Living unto God" insulates us in a sense. Living under His protection, there is nothing the devil can do to us, or with us. He is limited in most things, prohibited by God in others and most importantly, brings to us only that which the Lord has determined we can bear.

The man "living unto God" has been given new life and a new determination. Such a man has a hope not understood by others, but purposed to give a testimony of victory. If you, a man of hope, find yourself with a negative testimony, that testimony must be changed to one of what God has already done!

Our murmuring and complaining indicates that we are not happy with how God is running our lives. Yet, what cannot be denied is that the same God, about whom we complain, has wrought miracles and opened doors. There is something else to be considered: as long as we are murmuring and complaining, we are not ready to be used by the Lord. Why? Because one will be unable to attend to His business if primarily concerned with his own. Only when all murmuring and all complaining is stopped will the devil be unable to distract us and we, in turn, will be able to be righteous warriors for God.