March 18
March 18, 2026
Christ Lives In Me
Galatians 2:19–21
Lent often becomes a season focused on self-improvement. We give something up, pray a little more, or try to be more disciplined. While these practices can be meaningful, Paul reminds us in Galatians that the gospel is not ultimately about improving our behavior. It is about receiving a new identity.
Paul writes, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” These words describe more than a change in habits or attitudes. They describe the end of an old way of life.
Before encountering Christ, Paul built his identity on performance. His worth was tied to how well he could follow the law and prove himself righteous. But when he encountered Jesus, he realized that righteousness was never something he could achieve on his own. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, the old life defined by striving and self-reliance was put to death.
Paul didn’t just begin behaving differently. He became someone new.
That is why he says, “I no longer live.” His life was no longer centered on himself but on Christ. The life he now lived was grounded in faith in the Son of God, “who loved me and gave himself for me.”
This is the heart of the gospel: our lives are no longer defined by what we achieve but by what Christ has done for us. Because of His grace, we don’t pursue holiness in order to earn God’s acceptance. We pursue it because we already belong to Him.
Lent invites us to remember this truth. The old self has been crucified with Christ, and a new life has begun. The question for us is not simply how we can improve ourselves, but whether we are living from the identity Christ has already given us.
Is there a part of your old identity (performance, comparison, control, shame) that God may be inviting you to lay down?
How would your daily choices change if you trusted that you are already loved and accepted in Christ?
Prayer
Jesus,
Thank you for loving me and giving yourself for me. So often I fall back into trying to prove myself or measure my worth by what I do. Help me remember that my old life has been crucified with you and that my true life is now found in you. Teach me to live today from the identity you have given me—loved, forgiven, and made new.
Amen.