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
“There’s a fine line between method acting and schizophrenia.”
This observation by Francis Ford Coppolla’s nephew – Nicholas Cage – is an apt description of the dual reality of the Galatians 2:20 believer.
You’re dead, but you’re still alive. It’s your body but it’s somebody else living inside of it. It’s your mouth but the words you speak don’t make sense. The lights are on, but there’s somebody else at home.
This “weirdness” might be typical of the way a schizophrenic behaves. From the Mayo clinic:
Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Schizophrenia may result in some combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior. Contrary to popular belief,schizophrenia isn’t a split personality or multiple personality.
“Reality”, “abnormally” and “delusions” are all relative terms. After all, many people throughout history like Ignaz Semmelweiss and Martin Luther King Jr were considered insane for the ideas they expressed, locked up in mental asylums or assassinated…only to be vindicated many years later once society finally caught up and aligned itself with their vision.
This craziness and weirdness is what Paul is describing in Galatians 2:20. And it’s not unique to him; it’s the actual reality of everyone who is born again.
There’s something living inside you called Christ. And this Christ is the one who now drives this Earthsuit which is your body. Your thoughts, actions, words and ideas are powered by the Christ that lives in you.
You’re not even using your faith. You’re using the faith of God, because He’s the one who lives in you…because you’re not there anymore.
To the carnal person, this won’t make any sense…In the same way that Johnny Depp, Robert De Niro, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep and other method actors seem mystically bizarre to those who don’t understand the craft of method acting.
It’s you but it’s not you. You can look into a mirror and not see your own face…because you’re fully immersed in the character.
That’s your life now. Embrace it and you’ll be amazed at the world that opens up to you the Christ who lives in you.
Selah.