Sermons on Galatians 2:19-20
The various sermons below converge on the central theme of the believer’s union with Christ as foundational to understanding Galatians 2:19-20, emphasizing that the Christian life is marked by a profound transformation rather than mere external observance. They collectively highlight that being "crucified with Christ" involves a death to the old self and a new life animated by faith, not law, with Christ living within the believer. This union is portrayed in multiple dimensions: legal (a change in status before God removing condemnation), relational (a shared experience and identity with Christ), and practical (an ongoing daily crucifixion of sinful desires). Nuances emerge in how this union is experienced—some sermons stress the legal metaphor of execution and justification, others focus on the new identity as a Spirit-led "new self," and still others emphasize the social and ecclesial implications of Christ’s death abolishing the law’s dividing walls, fostering unity across ethnic and cultural lines. The sermons also agree that Christian living flows from an indicative reality of newness in Christ rather than from human effort, underscoring faith as the animating principle and Christ as the believer’s chief treasure.
In contrast, the sermons diverge in their primary theological emphases and interpretive angles. One sermon foregrounds the ongoing, daily aspect of crucifixion as a battle against sin empowered by Christ living within, framing the Christian life as an intimate, individualized relationship rather than a set of external behaviors. Another sermon sharpens the distinction between Christ’s substitutionary death and the believer’s participatory experience of that death, portraying justification as a personal "execution" that frees from the law’s condemnation and shifts the believer’s motivation from law to faith. A third sermon uniquely highlights the new self as a fundamentally new creation, alive to God and characterized by love and righteousness, emphasizing the indicative nature of this identity over any imperative commands. Meanwhile, a fourth sermon situates the passage within the broader context of the law’s abolition, focusing on the social and ecclesial reconciliation that Christ’s death accomplishes, breaking down ethnic and religious barriers and establishing radical equality among believers. These differences shape how each sermon addresses the believer’s identity, motivation, and community in light of Galatians 2:19-20, offering distinct lenses through which to preach the passage.
Galatians 2:19-20 Interpretation:
Living a Christ-like Life Through Transformation and Faith (Harvest of Hope Christian Center) interprets Galatians 2:19-20 by breaking down the concept of being "crucified with Christ" into three dimensions: legal, relational, and daily life. Legally, God views believers as if they died with Christ, thus removing condemnation and enabling reconciliation. Relationally, the believer's union with Christ means Christ's experiences become theirs, marking the start of a new life. In daily life, this crucifixion is an ongoing process of resisting temptation and crucifying sinful desires. The sermon uses the analogy of a legal status change (heirship), a relational union (shared experience), and a daily battle (ongoing crucifixion of desires) to explain the passage. It also emphasizes that the Christian life is not about superficial acts but about a deep, intimate relationship with Christ, allowing Him to live through the believer in unique, individualized ways.
United with Christ: Freedom Through Faith and Love (Desiring God) offers a nuanced interpretation by focusing on the believer's union with Christ in His death and resurrection. The sermon highlights that being "crucified with Christ" means the old, unbelieving self dies, resulting in justification—freedom from guilt and condemnation. It draws a distinction between Christ dying for us and our participation in His death, suggesting that our "execution" with Christ is both a substitutionary act and a personal experience of vindication. The preacher also stresses that the new life is not law-driven but faith-driven, with Christ as the animating force and chief value of the believer's existence. The analogy of "execution" for law-breaking and the shift from law to faith as the basis for living are central to this interpretation.
Embracing Our New Identity in Christ (Desiring God) offers a distinctive interpretation of Galatians 2:19-20 by focusing on the concept of the "new self" that emerges through union with Christ. The sermon draws a direct line from Paul's statement "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" to the believer's experience of a new identity, animated and led by the Holy Spirit. The preacher emphasizes that the "new you" is not simply a reformed version of the old self but a fundamentally new creation, brought into being by God, and characterized by faith in Christ, love for righteousness, and a life lived "to God." The analogy of "putting off the old self" and "putting on the new self" is used to illustrate the radical transformation, and the preacher highlights that this newness is not achieved by human effort but is a de facto reality for those united with Christ. The sermon also notes the linguistic nuance in the Greek, where the "newness of the Spirit" (Romans 7:6) and "newness of life" (Romans 6:4) are contrasted with the old way of the written code, reinforcing the idea that the Christian life is now lived in the sphere of the Spirit, not under the law.
Unity in Christ: Breaking Down Barriers Through Peace (Desiring God) provides a unique interpretive angle by connecting Galatians 2:19-20 to the abolition of the law as a means of reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles. The preacher explains that "through the law I died to the law" means that the law's demand for death was satisfied in Christ's crucifixion, so believers are no longer under its claim. The metaphor of "the law as a dividing wall" is used to show how Christ's death not only reconciles individuals to God but also removes ethnic and religious hostilities, creating "one new person" in place of two. The preacher carefully distinguishes between the ceremonial aspects of the law and the law as a whole as a means of attaining righteousness, arguing that the entire system of law-keeping as a way to get right with God is abolished for those in Christ. This interpretation is supported by a close reading of the Greek logic in Ephesians 2, where the abolition of the law is foundational to both vertical (with God) and horizontal (with others) reconciliation.
Galatians 2:19-20 Theological Themes:
Living a Christ-like Life Through Transformation and Faith (Harvest of Hope Christian Center) introduces the theme of the threefold crucifixion: legal (status before God), relational (union and shared experience with Christ), and daily (ongoing resistance to sin). It adds the unique facet that the Christian life is not about achieving adequacy through works but about experiencing Christ's resurrection power, joy, and peace through intimate relationship and surrender. The sermon also uniquely frames the Christian's authority and purpose as flowing from Christ living within, empowering extraordinary living and fruitfulness (disciple-making) rather than mere adequacy.
United with Christ: Freedom Through Faith and Love (Desiring God) presents the distinct theological theme that justification is experienced not only as a legal declaration but as a personal "execution" with Christ, resulting in a new identity and freedom from the law's condemnation. The sermon adds the fresh angle that the Christian's new existence is animated by faith rather than law, with Christ as the central value and treasure, and that the root of this faith is the personal experience of Christ's love in both His death and resurrection.
Embracing Our New Identity in Christ (Desiring God) introduces the theme of the "new self" as a Spirit-inhabited, faith-driven identity that is fundamentally distinct from the old self. The sermon explores the idea that the new self is not merely forgiven but is "alive to God," compelled by righteousness, and characterized by a love for holiness and fruit-bearing. A particularly fresh angle is the emphasis on the indicative (what is already true) rather than the imperative (what we must do), stressing that Christian living flows from the reality of having been made new, not as a means to achieve newness. The preacher also highlights the psychological and spiritual implications of this identity, noting that the experience of sin "feeling like us" is countered by the truth that the real "me" is now risen with Christ.
Unity in Christ: Breaking Down Barriers Through Peace (Desiring God) presents the theological theme of reconciliation through the abolition of the law, not just as a removal of ceremonial distinctions but as the end of law-keeping as a means of righteousness. The sermon adds a new facet by arguing that this abolition is the basis for both unity in the church (across ethnic and cultural lines) and for a new kind of obedience—"fruit-bearing" by the Spirit rather than legalistic striving. The preacher also stresses the radical equality this creates among believers, as all are now reconciled to God on the same basis, eliminating any grounds for hostility or division.
Galatians 2:19-20 Historical and Contextual Insights:
Living a Christ-like Life Through Transformation and Faith (Harvest of Hope Christian Center) provides historical context by referencing the legal implications of crucifixion in the Roman world and the concept of heirship, explaining how Paul's audience would understand the legal transfer of status and the relational implications of being united with Christ. The sermon also touches on the early Christian community's emphasis on fellowship and mutual encouragement, contrasting it with modern tendencies toward isolation and individualism.
United with Christ: Freedom Through Faith and Love (Desiring God) offers contextual insight into the function of the law in first-century Judaism, explaining how dying to the law through Christ was a radical shift from law-based righteousness to faith-based living. The sermon clarifies that Paul's statement about dying to the law would have been understood as a complete change in how one relates to God, moving from external adherence to internal transformation through union with Christ.
Unity in Christ: Breaking Down Barriers Through Peace (Desiring God) provides historical context by explaining the significance of the law as a "dividing wall" between Jews and Gentiles in the first-century church. The sermon notes that the law, with its commandments and ordinances, created not only ceremonial distinctions (such as circumcision, dietary laws, and Sabbath-keeping) but also a system by which Jews sought to attain righteousness, leaving Gentiles excluded. The preacher clarifies that Paul's message in Galatians and Ephesians is that Christ's death abolished this entire system, thus removing the historical and cultural barriers that had separated Jews and Gentiles and establishing a new, unified people of God.
Galatians 2:19-20 Cross-References in the Bible:
Living a Christ-like Life Through Transformation and Faith (Harvest of Hope Christian Center) references Colossians ("old things are passed away and new things become new") to reinforce the idea of transformation and new life. It also cites 2 Corinthians 12 ("in your weakness is my strength perfected because my grace is sufficient for you") to illustrate how Christ's power is made manifest in the believer's weakness, supporting the theme of Christ living through the believer. Additionally, the sermon alludes to Hebrews ("looking unto him who is the author and the finisher for our faith") to emphasize the focus on Christ as the source and sustainer of faith.
United with Christ: Freedom Through Faith and Love (Desiring God) cross-references Romans 7:4-6 to explain the mechanics of dying to the law and being released from its captivity, paralleling Galatians 2:19-20's theme of living to God. The sermon also references Galatians 3:1-5 to anticipate the discussion of living by the Spirit rather than the law, and it draws on the broader Pauline theme of union with Christ in death and resurrection as the basis for new life and fruitfulness.
Embracing Our New Identity in Christ (Desiring God) references several passages to expand on Galatians 2:19-20: Romans 7:6 is used to show that believers are "released from the law" and now serve "in the newness of the Spirit"; Romans 6:4 is cited to illustrate that being "raised with Christ" means walking in "newness of life"; Colossians 2:11-12 and 3:9-10 are used to support the idea of dying and rising with Christ, and the creation of the "new self"; 1 Peter 2:24 is referenced to explain that Christ's death enables believers to "die to sin and live to righteousness"; and Romans 7:4-6 is again used to show that dying to the law allows believers to "belong to another" and "bear fruit for God." Each reference is used to reinforce the sermon’s central claim that the Christian life is a Spirit-empowered, faith-driven existence rooted in union with Christ.
Unity in Christ: Breaking Down Barriers Through Peace (Desiring God) draws on a range of biblical cross-references to elucidate Galatians 2:19-20: Romans 7:4-6 is used to explain that believers "died to the law through the body of Christ," resulting in release from the law and a new way of serving "in the Spirit"; Romans 10:4 is cited to declare that "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes"; Ephesians 2:14-18 is the primary text, showing how the abolition of the law through Christ's death reconciles both Jews and Gentiles to God and to each other; and Romans 1:7 and Galatians 2:19-21 are referenced to support the argument that righteousness is now through faith in Christ, not law-keeping. These passages are woven together to demonstrate that the death of Christ fulfills the law's demands, ends its role as a means of righteousness, and establishes a new, unified community.