“IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME” (Galatians 2:20)

My beloved brothers and sisters in Our Risen Lord, God and Savior,

CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN! ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! ΑΛΗΘΩΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ!

"I have been crucified with Christ, IT IS NO LONGER WHO LIVE, BUT
CHRIST LIVES IN ME; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live
by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me"
[ Galatians 2:20].

"I have been crucified with Christ" means our sinful "passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24) have been crucified. This is not the crucifixion of human nature, but of "the flesh," the corruption into which humanity has fallen. This crucifixion must be willingly and freely accepted, just as Christ feely accepted His death. Living "in the flesh" (Gk. en sarki) is contested with living "in the faith" (Gk en pistei), translated here "by faith." Just as living in the flesh involves the whole person, body and soul, so living "in the faith" involves the whole person. Justification therefore constitutes substantial union with Christ, not just an abstract position of the believer with respect to God.

While "It is no longer I who live" under the dominion of sinful passions and desires, I do "live" a crucified life in Christ. As we are not saved by works alone, nowhere does the New Testament say we are saved by faith alone. We are saved by faith, but not faith alone. Saint John Chrysostom interprets "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20) as the complete transformation of the believer, who has died to their old sinful self through baptism and crucifixion with Christ. This means Christ becomes the active agent, guiding the believer’s thoughts, actions, and existence, replacing self-reliance with faith driven union. Our holy Father emphasizes clearly that this is not merely metaphorical, the old man of sin is dead, and the believer is now united with Christ in a New Life. Christ actively works within the believer, directing their will and enabling them to live in a new way.

The Orthodox perspective, echoed by Saint John Chrysosto, is that SALVATION IS A RELATIONSHIP OF COMMUNION, WHERE THE BELIEVER IS NO LONGER ACTING ALONE BUT IS A PARTAKER OF CHRIST’S NATURE. Just as our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ offered Himself, the believer who lives this way also offers their life in love and service to others. The Saint focuses on how faith in Christ, not the law, is the sourc of this new, vibrant life, enabling the believer to act with the strength of the Spirit.

Saint Porphyrios said, "In the Church which possesses the saving Mysteries there is no despair. We may be deeply sinful but we make confession, the priest reads the prayer, we are forgiven and we progress towards immortality, without any anxiety and without any fear. When we love Christ, we live the life of Christ. If, by the grace of God, we succeed in doing this, we find ourselves in a different state, we live in another, enviable state. For us there is no fear; neither of death, nor of the devil nor of hell. All these things exist for people who are far from Christ, for non-Christians. For us Christians who do His will, as the Gospel says, these things do not exist. That is, they exist, but when one kills the old self along with the passions and desires,one gives importance to the devil or to evil. It doesn’t concern us. what concerns us is love, service to Christ and to our fellow man. If we reach the point of feeling joy, love, worship of God without any fear, we reach the point of saying, It is no longer I who live; Christ lives in me. No one can prevent us from entering into this mystery."

It is therefore up to every true believer to live with profound faith, faith that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ died for me. Faith that I no longer live; faith that it is Christ who lives in me. In the Mystery of Holy Baptism we chant: "As many of you have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. Alleluia. And the Epistle of Saint Paul, Romans 6:3-11 in which what Christ accomplished on the Cross–a actual and real death to sin–baptism is to us; an actual and real death to sin, a liberation from it. Thus, in our union with Christ through baptism, in His death and Resurrection, lies the power for victory over the law, the power of sin. In this sense baptism is an exact likeness to Christ’s death on the Cross. Baptism is a reality! It is not something that somehow, "stands for" reality. The Cross is the power of God, for overcoming sin (1 Corinthians 1:18), and baptism is our Cross! Ther we tap into the power of God to say no to sin’s ommands and temptations.

As Orthodox Christians we believe that our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ died and was buried for us, but how are we "buried with Him?" "Through Baptism." For what Our Lord Christ accomplished in the grave–an actual and real burial of sin–baptism is to us an actual and real burial of sin. Our old, mortal nature is replaced by a renewed nature capable of living righteously.

"United together" refers to being planted and growing together, clearly implying the expectation of fruit. "In the likeness of His death" means baptism has real unity with Christ’s death. For the Holy Spirit unites the reality of being immersed in the water to the reality of Christ going to the Cross and the grave. Yet we are not "united together in His death," but in the likeness of His death. We did not die in our flesh with Christ on the Cross, nor does our human nature die. "We also shall be in the likeness of His Resurrection" is literally translated "we shall be of the resurrection." The likeness of His resurrection is the new life received in baptism. The Holy Apostle Paul is referring here to the future resurrection of the body. If we truly participate in baptism’s LIKENESS TO CHRIST’S DEATH, THEN WE ARE PREPARED FOR THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY.

Saint John Chrysostomo states that faith must be embraced through virtue, unity of hte body of Christ, and sharing wealth with the poor, which he deemed essential for salvation. Failing to share wealth with the poor is equivalent to theft and depriving them of life. He also advised belivers to "fence" their lives on all sides by connecting daily worldly affairs with frequent prayer.

In Orthodox Christianity receiving the Holy Eucharist during the Divine Liturgy is understood as the most direct and profound union with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, where believers partake of His actual Body and Blood. This Mystery is viewed as a "medicine of immortality," spiritually and physically uniting the faithful with God. The Holy Eucharist is both a personal union with God and a gathering of the Church body, unifying believers with one another.

_________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
+ Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in His Glorious and Divine Resurrection,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George