February 12
‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.’ Galatians 2:20a
Bible reading: Ephesians 2:1-10 (Go to the Bible passage)
God says that everyone who is not yet reborn, is (spiritually) dead. Everyone who lives according to the ways of this world is spiritually dead, for he lives following the desires of Satan, who in this passage is called ‘the ruler of the kingdom of the air’.
No, we should not think Satan is only to be found in the brothels, taverns and other ‘bad’ places. Satan likes to masquerade as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). So, he is also to be found where pious hymns are being sung by people who still live in transgressions and sins, according to Satan’s desires and not according to God’s will.
Of the children of the Light it is said here that they once lived like this, but not anymore (:2).
Anyone who justifies himself when he sins with the words that he is ‘only human’, belongs to those who are disobedient, those, who live under the reign of the spirit of this world. But the people who are redeemed by Christ do no longer live gratifying the cravings of their flesh, as we all do by nature and whereby we all are deserving of wrath, religious or not. For, praise the Lord! God Who is rich in mercy made us - who became obedient - alive with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms. For we are God’s handiwork, a new creation.
But we are not suddenly a new creation because this is written in the Bible: we become a new creation in being crucified with Christ. Anyone who is crucified with Him will perceive the reality of this in being redeemed from his own ego, his selfishness, which makes him cry out in wonder, ‘I no longer live, but Christ lives in me!’

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