GALATIANS 2:20-21 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which 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 set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
NSB* Paul and every believer were crucified with Christ in order to die to sin, the law, and this "present evil age" (1-4). While believers live physically, Christ also lives within them spiritually. Christ's resurrection power through the Spirit is worked out through the Christian (see Romans 6:4-11), who chooses to live by faith through the Son of God.
Notes reference: Romans 6:4-11 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Crucified With Christ; "to crucify with" (su, "for," sun, "with"), is used metaphorically, of spiritual identification with Christ in His death. The Greek word for crucify used here is συσταυρόω sustauroo. Vine's (def B-2), Strong's. G4957. Thayer expands - to crucify alone with the death of Christ on the cross has wrought the extinction of our former corruption, by the death of Christ upon the cross I have become utterly estranged from (dead to) my former habit of feeling and action.
Live By Faith; Faith has the idea of persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself. The Greek word is πίστις pistis. Strong's G4102. Thayer offers the following definitions - 1) conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with it 1a) relating to God 1a1) the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ 1b) relating to Christ 1b1) a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God 1c) the religious beliefs of Christians 1d) belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ, springing from faith in the same 2) fidelity, faithfulness 2a) the character of one who can be relied on.
Flesh; In this instance, it is a reference to "the human body,". The Greek word is σάρξ sarx. Vine's (def 1b), Strong's G4561.
Loved; In respect of agapao as used of God, it expresses the deep and constant "love" and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential "love" in them towards the Giver, and a practical "love" towards those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others to seek the Giver. The Greek word is ἀγαπάω agapao. Notes on this are given in Vine's (def A-1) under agapao. Strong's G25.
2 Corinthians 5:15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Moving to Verse 21
Galatians 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
My Notes: The KJV reads "I do not frustrate the grace of God". I think the New Kings James does an excellent job of translating this because ἀθετέω the Greek word used for "frustrate" actually means - to set aside, i.e. (by implication) to disesteem, neutralize or violate. Both of course are solid, I just wanted to point that out.
Set Aside; see my notes above.
Died In Vain; Vain here has the idea of gratuitously (literally or figuratively). Vine's denotes - lit., "as a gift, gratis," (connected with doron, "a gift"), is rendered "without a cause,". The Greek word for vain is δωρεάν dorean. Vine's (def A-9), Strong's G1432.
NSB* - If righteousness is attainable through keeping the law of Moses, then God's gracious act of sending Christ to die on the Cross to pay for sin was unnecessary and useless. (see Romans 3:4-26).
Notes Reference - Romans 3:4-26 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.”5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. 10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” 13 “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Takeaway - We can try and change our habits through the flesh by just resisting, but our sinful human nature typically takes us back to the same old things. Focusing on Christ, his Word, prayer, and fellowship with His people changes us from within so that our old nature can die to sin and live to Christ. If we are in Christ then our old life and habits have been crucified. We should not return to what we were doing before as we live "by faith", for Christ did not die in vain. It should also be clear that He was not resurrected in vain either.
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