Sunday, September 20, 2009--Sunday after the Elevation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross

The Reading is from the Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians (2:16-20)

Brothers and Sisters:

You know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Crhist; it is not 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.

Ver. 19: For I through the Law died to the Law.
This may be viewed in two ways; it is either the law of grace which he speaks of, for he is accustomed to call this a law, as in the words, "For the law of the Spirit of life made me free": (Romans 8:2) or it is the old Law, of which he says, that "by the Law itself he has become dead to the Law." That is to say, the Law itself has taught me no longer to obey itself, and therefore if I do so, I shall be transgressing even its teaching. How, in what way has it so taught? Moses says, speaking of Christ, "The Lord God will raise up unto you a Prophet from among you of your brethren, like me; you shall listen to him." (Deuteronomy 18:15) Therefore they who do not obey Him, transgress the Law. Again, the expression, "I through the Law died unto the Law", may be understood in another sense: the Law commands all its precepts to be performed, and punishes the transgressor; therefore we are all dead to it, for no man has fulfilled it. Here observe, how guardedly he assails it; he does not says, the Law is dead to me; but, I am dead to the Law; the meaning of which is, that, as it is impossible for a dead corpse to obey the commands of the Law, so also is it for me who have perished by its curse, for by its word am I slain. Let it not therefore lay commands on the dead, dead by its own act, dead not in body only, but in soul, which has involved the death of the body. This he shows in what follows:

Ver. 19, 20. That I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ.
Having said, I am dead, lest it should be objected, how then do you live? He adds the cause of his living, and shows that when alive the Law slew him, but that when dead Christ through death restored him to life. He shows the wonder to be twofold; that by Christ both the dead was begotten into life, and that by means of death. He here means the immortal life, for this is the meaning of the words, That I might live to God I am crucified with Christ. How, it is asked, can a man now living and breathing have been crucified? That Christ has been crucified is manifest, but how can you have been crucified, and yet live? He explains it thus;

Ver. 20. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
In these words, "I am crucified with Christ", he alludes to Baptism and in the words "nevertheless I live, yet not I", our subsequent manner of life whereby our members are mortified. By saying "Christ lives in me", he means nothing is done by me, which Christ disapproves; for as by death he signifies not what is commonly understood, but a death to sin; so by life, he signifies a delivery from sin. For a man cannot live to God, otherwise than by dying to sin; and as Christ suffered bodily death, so does Paul a death to sin. "Mortify," he says, "your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, passion" (Colossians 3:5), and again, "our old man was crucified" (Romans 6:6) which took place in the Bath. After which, if you remain dead to sin, you live to God, but if you let it live again, you are the ruin of your new life. Paul, however, did not do this, but continued entirely dead; if then, he says, I live to God a life other than that in the Law, and am dead to the Law, I cannot possibly keep any part of the Law. Consider how perfect was his walk, and you will be transported with admiration of this blessed soul. He does not say, "I live", but, "Christ lives in me"; who is bold enough to utter such words? Paul indeed, who had harnessed himself to Christ's yoke, and cast away all worldly things, and was paying universal obedience to His will, does not say, "I live to Christ", but what is far higher, "Christ lives in me". As sin, when it has the mastery, is itself the vital principle, and leads the soul wherever it will, so, when it is slain and the will of Christ obeyed, this life is no longer earthly, but Christ lives, that is, works, has mastery within us. His saying, "I am crucified with Him; I no longer live, but am dead", seeming incredible to many, he adds,

Ver. 20. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God.
The foregoing, says he, relates to our spiritual life, but this life of sense too, if considered, will be found owing to my faith in Christ. For as regards the former Dispensation and Law, I had incurred the severest punishment, and had long ago perished, "for all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God". (Romans 3:23) And we, who lay under sentence, have been liberated by Christ, for all of us are dead, if not in fact, at least by sentence; and He has delivered us from the expected blow. When the Law had accused, and God condemned us, Christ came, and by giving Himself up to death, rescued us all from death. So that the life which I now live in the flesh, I live in faith. Had not this happened, nothing could have averted a destruction as general as that which took place at the flood, but His advent arrested the wrath of God, and caused us to live by faith. That such is his meaning appears from what follows. After saying, that "the life which I now live in the flesh, I live in faith", he adds,

Ver. 20. In the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
How is this, O Paul! why do you appropriate a general benefit, and make your own what was done for the whole world's sake? For he says not, "Who loved us", but, "Who loved me". And besides the Evangelist says, "God so loved the world" (John 3:16) and Paul himself, "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up", not for Paul only, but, "for us all" (Romans 8:32) and again, that "He might purify for himself a people for his own possession" (Titus 2:14). But considering the desperate condition of human nature, and the ineffably tender solicitude of Christ, in what He delivered us from, and what He freely gave us, and kindled by the yearning of affection towards Him, he thus expresses himself. Thus the Prophets often appropriate to themselves Him who is God of all, as in the words, "O God, you are my God, early will I seek You." (Psalm 63:1) Moreover, this language teaches that each individual justly owes as a great debt of gratitude to Christ, as if He had come for his sake alone, for He would not have grudged this His condescension even if only for one, so that the measure of His love to each is as great as to the whole world. Truly the Sacrifice was offered for all mankind, and was sufficient to save all, but those who enjoy the blessing are the believing only. Nevertheless it did not deter Him from His so great condescension, that not all would come; but He acted after the pattern of the supper in the Gospel, which He prepared for all, (Luke 14:16) yet when the guests did not come, instead of withdrawing the food, He called in others. So too He did not despise that sheep, though only one, which had strayed from the ninety and nine. (Matthew 18:12) This too in like manner St. Paul intimates, when he says, speaking about the Jews, "For what if some were without faith, shall their want of faith make the faithfulness of God have no effect? God forbid: indeed let God be found true, but every man a liar. " (Romans 3:3-4) When He so loved you as to give Himself up to bring you, who were without hope, to a life so great and blessed, can you, thus gifted, have recourse to things gone by?