Crucified

 I continue to do my study on the word "walk". I have finally gotten into the New Testament. I was reading in Galatians Chapter 6 today. Verse 16 talked about "as many as walk according to this rule". Well, context is everything, so I went back and read the early verses in the chapter. 

One verse leaped off the page and grabbed my heart. The Holy Spirit does that! It is almost like my chin is gently, but firmly grabbed by the Great Teacher and my head is turned towards a specific verse. My glasses are instantly clean and my eyes clearly see the verse for the first time. My mind soaks up the words and lets them settle in my heart. 

Galatians 6:14

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 

But God forbid

That I should glory,

Save in the cross

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

by Whom 

the World is crucified unto me,

and I unto the world. 

Each phrase echoes in my soul like I am in a big cathedral with a vaulted ceiling alone, speaking the words out loud. I can't yet find the words to express just the power of this verse within me. My mind flashes to dozen upon dozens of stories of martyrs and faithful Christians that I have read or heard about, those since the time of Stephen to a modern day teenager named Jeremiah, the Faithful . 

God forbid...that I ..... should glory, save in the cross....of our Lord Jesus Christ, ... by Whom the World is crucified UNTO me... and I unto the world...

Rachel Scott

Aquilla and Pricilla

my pastor

Perpetua

my brother-in-Christ Ty

Titus

my homeschool mentor Kim

Paul

my dad

John the Apostle

Thomas Hawkes

Through the ages this verse echoes........................................

My pastor tells the story of two soldiers in a trench during war. One is calm. One is shaking with fear. The one who is terrified is afraid to die. The one who is calm died to himself already.

I think the Christians of Paul's day understood becoming a Christian means persecution and death. They didn't expect to escape their persecutors. They understood, like many converts in Muslim countries know, a relationship with Christ is a death sentence in this world they know. They expected to die for what they believed. And they lived boldly because of it. They were dead to the world. The world was dead to them. 

And so it should be with me. 

So it must be with me.

And with you too.