The Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me

Galatians 2:20
...the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 

This phrase is should be a big realization and motivation for us to a changed life. Thinking critically about the phrase, it consists of three parts. First, Jesus - Yshua is the Son of the Living God - who Himself is at One with God. Second - is the fact that Yshua loves us. Third, following from the first two facts, He gave Himself to us. Put together, these three facts should move us all to yield completely to Yshua. There is no other excuse, no other valid reason for anything else, no place for thinking about ourselves. This should be the reason to turn whole-heartedly to Yshua and abandon our rebellion and disobedience. And living a changed life, there should be nothing else that should lead us to fear and doubt.

whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven

Mark 10:21
1 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

This passage about the rich young ruler is not about wealth. It is also not about holiness and sanctification, as the young man has lived an almost perfect moral life. Jesus saw that there was something holding the man back. He offered him a choice to make, there was still a chance he might change. However, the man admitted defeat and did not turn toward Jesus for help. Jesus wanted the man to come to Him, depend on Him and surrender to Him, He was not looking for perfection in the man. It mentioned that Jesus looked at the man and loved Him, He did not turn the young man away.

I have been crucified with Christ

Galatians 2:20
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.

When Paul made the statement that he has been crucified with Christ, he was not physically crucified yet at that point in time, though he would faced a similar fate later. Yet what Paul said was for than just identifying with Christ in suffering. It was a reality to him, that he lived a life of persecution by others, as well as crucifying his own sinful nature.

It is perhaps more of the second point of crucifying oneself that we can take for ourselves. There is a battle between our old selves which is carnal in nature, aiming to satisfy our own needs with no regards to God. On the opposite, there is the will to surrender ourselves with God. Only by deliberately crucifying our sinful nature can we fully surrender to the will of God.

For God so loved the world that He gave

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave ...

This must be the most famous verse in the Bible and quoted so many times. A simple verse which has such full meaning and can be used to teach so many topics. Let's look at two parts, first is that God loved the world so much, it is beyond description. The second part is the consequence of His love which resulted in Him to give.

Let's stop there and focus about the degree of His love, and His following action. Notice that we are not involved in gaining or earning His love. His action is total. When we understand this and reciprocate that action, there is nothing that we can do in comparison. We could however give ourselves, not that this repay God in any way, but instead it is our just response. The question is to what degree that we actually give ourselves

It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me

Galatians 2:20
 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.

Believers in Yshuas need to realize that they are no longer their independent selves. After all, it is their conscious decision to declare that they give their lives to God when they say they believe in Yshua and will follow Him. So why is it that there are still the desire to please themselves and make their own plans.

Of course we know that it is human nature and the sinful part in us, while we still live on earth. However, this should not stop us from doing the right thing - that is to make the conscious effort to give ourselves to Christ. In addition to giving up the life of sin, it also means giving up our desires. In serving God, this also means giving up our own strategies and choose to listen and wait for God for how He wants to use us.

We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us

Romans 8:37
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

The word conqueror today does not conjure up the image of fierce victorious warriors than it did many centuries ago. Yet this passage says that the believers in Yshua are supposed to be even more than conquerors. However being more than conquerors can only be achieved through God who loves us, not by our own means.

We can apply this encouragement in so many different situations. Perhaps we are in the midst of some tribulation and needed reminding of where we stand in Christ. Perhaps we are in facing distractions or temptations, then we need to know we can overcome them because of Yshua, not with our own strength. In the other extreme, if we are doing fantastic, than it is also good to be reminded of the love of Christ for us.