Galatians 2:15-21
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. 17 But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; 20 and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.
With the NFL playoffs nearly over, the coaching exodus has begun, and for a few teams already over. Whether a head coach, a coordinator, a position coach, or a general manager, positions are vacated and then filled by new people. Brown’s fans have much to be excited about in the management department because we did so well, the moving of coaches does not need to take place this year. But other organizations are not so fortunate, and their fans must endure the moving around of coaches and systems and players.
Just as players and coaches move from positions to positions, so too is there a displacement in the life of every Christian. As Paul writes, it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. The head coach moves from one team to another; the place normally held by “I” has now become the place of “Christ.” No longer is it “I” but is now “Christ.” For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. Since we have been crucified with Christ, we are now displaced from being gods and lords over our entire existence and now Christ has taken our place. No longer “I”, but “Christ.”
This displacement is everything. Since we have traded places with Christ, we are now made right or justified. But as Paul reminds us, we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. The Law is a great many things, but the law is for our purposes “us” taking the place of God. I do, I do not. We neither have the inclination to do as God does, nor can do as God does. So perhaps the entire purpose of the Law is to wake us up to the idea that we are not and cannot be God. We need displaced and that displacement is the trading of places with Christ. I, yet not I but Christ.
But this displacement hurts. Look at the following chart and see what must change if Christ takes our place.
Self-Created Christ-Created
Self-Provided Christ-Provided
Self-Legislated Christ-Legislated
Self-Judged Christ-Judged
Self-Sanctified Christ-Sanctified
Self-Atoned Christ-Atoned
Self-Discipled Christ-Discipled
Self-Ruled Christ-Ruled
Self-Determined Christ-Determined
Self-Appointed Christ-Appointed
I could add another hundred ways Christ needs to displace us, but space and time is limited. The point is that this being displaced in our lives is painful, fearful, and confusing. The temptation will always be that when the displacement starts to happen, the pain, fear and confusion will always challenge us to remain in control and prevent Christ from becoming who he really is. We clamp down trying to keep our place and forbid and work against Christ taking it.
The process becomes even more difficult, as if this were not enough, to have Christ take our place, but the world wants to displace Christ out from everything and to put themselves in his place. Governments displace Christ as Legislator, Executor and Judge. Corporations displace Christ as Provider and Sanctifier. Philosophies displace Christ as Creator and Wisdom. Facebook and Twitter displace Christ as Censor and Moral Compass. As if the struggle was not difficult enough to allow Christ to displace us as God and Lord, the world is actively struggling to displace Christ as God and Lord and putting themselves in his place.
Perhaps this then illumines why Paul was so adamant that we live a live of faith in Christ, or perhaps a better translation of the Greek is we live a live by the faithfulness of Christ. If not for Christ and his greater power than the World and Governments and Corporation and Philosophies and Big Tech and you and me, then Christ would never be able to displace us as God and Lord. If Christ’s rivals and adversaries were equal to him in power than Christ is impotent to resist them. But precisely because Christ is over all things, then Christ has no rival, that includes you. Christ can displace us, and no one can truly displace Christ. Alleluia.
So, what needs displaced in you? Christ creating you, Christ providing for you, Christ determining you, Christ atoning for you, Christ ruling you. Is Christ your Lord and God yet? If the answer is not yet, then we have more and more things to surrender to Christ, we have more and more need for a life of faith in Christ. The good news of the Gospel is that our faithfulness in Christ has help in the form of the faithfulness of Christ in our place. If he lives in us, then yes, we can. That is our comfort for all time. The challenge is then, we now have no excuse why we cannot become a people Christ-determined.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, I have no doubt that being displaced as god and lord over our lives in painful, fearful and confusing, but when our first reaction is to clamp down and control, we must have a second reaction and that is to trust and to let go. This is faith and this makes all the difference in the world. Not only are we justified by faith in Christ, but we are continually living our daily lives in the faith of Christ. Even when the world wants to remove Christ from his place as a head coach is removed, we must remember the only moving that can and must take place is for us to move out of his place and let Christ be God and Lord. To God be the Glory for giving us Christ. Amen.
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