The Ruthless Elimination Of Self-Interest

Galatians 2:20 (NIV) —

‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.’

Yes again - same theme… hope that’s ok?  The reason is that the thought we finished yesterday with: ‘the ruthless elimination of self-interest is a daily devotion not a one-time emotional response’, requires more unpacking. It captures and expresses something of what it is to place Christ at the centre of our lives rather than self.

Paul wrote to Christians in Galatia 'the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other.' (Galatians 5:17).

Jesus, in one of his frank exchanges with his disciples when they are wrestling with the cost of following him, declares: 'It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit”.'(John 6:63) The self-centred life and the Spirit-centred life have nothing in common. Life in the Spirit requires the coronation of Christ at the centre of our lives - and the dethroning of self.

In his letter to the Galatians who were also wrestling with living 'all in' for Christ, Paul emphasises that this holy exchange of self for Christ is a daily devotion. He writes: 'My old self has been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me' (Galatians 2:20). Every single day and with all that is in him, Paul 'crowns' Jesus as Lord of his life, not himself.

Let us, like Paul, make a daily decision to crucify self-interest, to 'crown' Jesus and give our absolute all to pursuing him and his gracious interest in us.

Prayer — Give us today our daily bread, give us today the grace we need to walk in your footsteps Jesus’.