type:
  - "[[Sermon Notes|Sermon Notes]]"
speaker: "[[Archibald Allison]]"
date: 2026-01-18
location: "[[Emmaus Orthodox Presbyterian Church]]"
passage: Galatians 2.20
sermon series:
sermon link:
subjects:
title: Portrait of a Christian
takeaways:
permalink: portrait-of-a-christian

Speaker	Archibald Allison
Date	2026-01-18
Location	Emmaus Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Passage	Galatians 2.20
Title	Portrait of a Christian
Takeaways	[object Object]
Subjects	[object Object]

💡Big Idea

Takeaways and Next Steps

📖Bible Passage

Galatians 2.20

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

Points

What does it mean to be a Christian?
- Today when people say they are a Christian, they mean that they are not a Hindu, or Muslim etc.
  - This is not what it means to be a Christian. To be a Christian is so much more than this.
This passage brings together some of the most basic tenets of what it means to be a Christian.

A Christians is a human being

A Christian puts everything under the Lordship of our loving savior and uses it for his glory and his praise

To become a christian does not make you less human

People are afraid that if they become a Christian they will somehow lose some of their humanity.
- But this is not what we see in scripture:
  - "That life which I now live in the flesh"- Gal 2.20
    - Scripture acknowledges that we still live in the flesh today, even after becoming a Christian. We have not ceased to be human, living in this world.

Paul had a human temerament

Paul had the same DNA when he became a Christian as he did before.
- Paul had problems, troubles, weaknesses, failures, burdens just like the rest of us.
  - 2 Corinthians 1.8 For we don't desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life.
- But through the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul learned to master over these weaknesses and failures.

Paul had human affections

Paul had kinship with his fellow Jews:
- Romans 9:1-3 I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers' sake, my relatives according to the flesh
- Paul's conversion did not change his status as a Jew. He was still a Jew.
This is true for us too. We do not lose all our ethnic and cultural characteristics after we become a Christian.

Paul had human weaknesses

People said that Paul's presence was weak and that his speech was contemptible. (2 Corinthians).
There came a time when God put a thorn in Paul's flesh^[1].
- See 2024-09-01 Sermon Notes
- But God's reaction was My grace is sufficient for you.

A Christians is not extreme

When you become a Christian, it is not true that nothing matters you except for the Bible.
- God created the whole world, and the Christian ought to be interested and concerned with all of it. God has given us all of these gifts.
- Christians should be interested in art, science, economics, nature, philosophy, people and relationships and all that is in this world.
- Lydia traded in purple cloth and she was immensely important in establishing the Gospel in this world.
- John Calvin and John Wesley were great scholars in the Greek classics.
- Meechum loved mountain climbing.
When you become a Christian you submit all your cares and interests in devotion to the King.
Being a Christian does not mean that you become extreme.
- Christians should be loving and caring and giving.
- Christians should do everything in the service of God and His Kingdom and advancing His Gospel.

A Christian has the most exalted view of Christ

Paul views Jesus as the Son of the living God.
A Christian views Jesus as 100% divine. 100% God.
- Paul did not have that view before becoming a Christian. He viewed Jesus according to the flesh. He judged Him by human criteria.

Before God saved Paul, he did not believe Jesus is the Son of God

How did Paul change his mind?
- It was not because Paul reasoned it himself. It was because he encountered and met God, and God changed Paul's mind.

Every Christian points away from himself to the grandeur and beauty and glory of Jesus Christ

These are some of the basic things that a Christian believes. He believes much more but he believes no less than that.

A Christian lives by faith

You say, "My Father in heaven is in control and I am at peace"

A Christian learns contentment because he lives by faith that Jesus is in control of everything in his life.
- A Christian finds peace because he knows that nothing is out of God's control.

We apply our faith every day of our lives

In this groaning world of sin and pain and shame, God is in control of it all.
- We have a great high priest.
- God wants our convictions to turn into confession.
- We give a reason for the hope we have when we are in school, and work and in the community. We do not hide our faith.

Application

A Christian has assurance that God loves Him

God loves you unconditionally.
- It was you whom He had in mind when He died on the cross for your sins.
- He wants you to live forever and ever with Him in Heaven.

A Christian is virtually omnipotent: Christ lives in me

See The Indwelling of Christ
Do you see what Paul says: Christ lives in me. Wow! That is magnificent!
- What great burdens we have in this world! And yet I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
- I need Christ. I need His teaching, wisdom, righteousness, truth, perfection. I am poor without Him. I need all without Him. I can do nothing without Him.
Are we all following Christ with all of our lives?
- Have we said to Him God you can have this part of my life, but not this other part?
It is not great faith that saves. It is faith in a great savior, and that Great Savior is Jesus Christ.
- Even if your faith is as thin as a spider's web, that very faith carry you up and deliver you from even the mightiest fire.
- You are never alone. You always have a loving Savior beside you.
Today you have heard the Truth, now respond to the Truth.
- Now you say I'm sorry, Lord and give your life back to Him.
  - This is the new birth that comes from above.
  - Galatians 2.20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

Further Study

💬Discussion Questions

Footnotes

we do not know what it was↩︎

2026-01-18 Sermon Notes

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