ARCC Sermons

Christ Who Lives in Me

·31 min·3 clips
A pastor tweaks the statement 'Christ died so we could live' to reveal a deeper, counterintuitive truth about crucifixion with Christ.
The episode opens with a reading of Galatians 2:15-21, setting the stage for a sermon on justification by faith. The speaker immediately introduces a provocative idea from a pastors' panel: that 'Christ died so we could die' and 'Christ lived so we could live.' He connects this to the apostle Paul's argument in Galatians 2, where Paul rebukes Peter for hypocrisy in shunning Gentile believers. The speaker explains that Paul addresses Jews who know the doctrine of justification by faith but still rely on their Jewish identity or contrast with 'Gentile sinners' to feel justified. He applies this to modern culture, asking listeners to identify who their 'them' is—the group they point to for self-justification. The sermon delves into how people rebuild their own laws, like avoiding certain behaviors, to create a false sense of righteousness. The speaker then explores what it means to be 'crucified with Christ,' drawing from Paul's testimony in Galatians 1 to show that both his sinful past and his religious achievements were crucified. He emphasizes that salvation involves union with Christ, where Christ lives in believers and they live in Him. The sermon connects this to practical Christian living, citing Colossians 3 to explain that putting sin to death comes from trusting Jesus as true life, not from mere effort. The speaker warns against nullifying grace by thinking righteousness comes through the law, and he ends with a prayer for reliance on the resurrected Jesus.

As heard by us

Paul's argument cuts through self-made standards and points back to grace in Jesus Christ.

Centered in Galatians 2:15-21, this episode keeps Paul's argument tightly in view: a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ.

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Why you'd press play

If your private law keeps growing, this sermon calls it out hard.

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