“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

The first of many steps to living by the faith in the service of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ the Son of God: is to die first to self; to your will; to your flesh; to your desires; to your careers; to this world with all its pleasures, vanities, and lusts. Laying aside all those weights (worldly affairs) and sin (fleshly lusts and carnality) that easily beset us. Paul says, (“I am crucified with Christ.”) (Dy-ing with Je-sus, by death reck-oned mine; Liv-ing with Je-sus, a new life di-vine; Look-ing to Je-sus till glo-ry doth shine, Mo-ment by mo-ment, O Lord, I am Thine.  Refrain   Mo-ment by mo-ment I’m kept in His love; Mo-ment by mo-ment I’ve life from a-bove; Look-ing to Je-sus till glo-ry doth shine; Mo-ment by mo-ment, O Lord, I am Thine.   Daniel W. Whittle, 1893) (You have longed for sweet peace, and for faith to increase, And have ear-nest-ly, fer-vent-ly prayed; But you can not have rest, or be per-fect-ly blest  Un-til all on the al-tar is laid. Chorus   Is your all on the al-tar of sac-ri-fice laid? Your heart, does the Spir-it con-trol? . . . You can on-ly be blest and have peace and sweet rest, As you yield Him your bod-y and soul.  Elisha A. Hoffman. 1900)Is thy all on the altar? Have you surrendered thy all? Is the blessed Lord Jesus thy all in all, my friend?

Dearly beloved, Christ is and ought to be our only and One Desire, Commander, Leader Supreme, Protector, Provider, Counsellor, our mighty God, our true Joy and Peace, and much more. Knowing with full assurance that He is able to do above and beyond our finite understanding and thinking. So, we may exclaim with the Apostle Paul (“…I live by the faith of the Son of God,…”) (“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matt. 6:33)