Bible Reading : Galatians 2:15-21
Verse of Reflection : Galatians 2:20
“However, I live, but it is no longer me who lives, but Christ who lives in me. My current life hidupi Physically is living by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given Himself for me.”
Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) defines the word finished as a state that has ended, completed, and leaves nothing that needs to be done again. This understanding provides an important understanding in the spiritual life of believers. The Christian life is not only about starting a new life in Christ, but also about ending the old life centred on ego and self-will. The journey of true faith always demands an end point for human self, so that a new life can be built on the right foundation.
Apostle Paul stated, "I have been crucified with Christ," as an affirmation that the old man has reached the end. The cross of Christ is not only a place of forgiveness of sins, but also a point of cessation of self-authority. Personal will, human ambition, and self-justification no longer control the lives of believers. Finishing with yourself means giving up the right to organise life to Christ, so that a new identity can grow in obedience to God's will.
Paul continued the paradoxical statement, "But I live, but it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." Christian life was not abolished, but underwent a central change. Christ is not an addition to human life, but becomes the source of life itself. The presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit marks spiritual maturity, because life is no longer controlled by the ego, but by the will and life of Christ that works within the believer.
Paul's affirmation of living by faith in the Son of God places the love of Christ as the main basis of spiritual transformation. The realisation of Christ's love that has given Himself forms a life attitude that is willing to give up personal interests. People who have finished with themselves no longer live to defend their ego, but to glorify God through a fruitful life.
✨Being done with yourself is not losing your life, but the door to a true life.✨
-GN