One of the first verses of Scripture that I memorized as a child was Gal 2:20 which says:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but 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.
This verse has become a life shaping verse for me, providing needed perspective on the Mission Statement which I have adopted for my life: To know Christ and to make him known. I know that Jonathan Edwards rightly insists that the glory of God is the life mission of every Christian, and this has found fresh and creative expression in the current writings of John Piper and others. But I love Galatians 2:20 and this simple Mission Statement for several reasons.
I like this verse because it reminds me of who I am. This is fundamental to the direction of my life since “being precedes doing”. Notice all of the “I’s” and “me’s” in the verse (7 times). And yet the verse is not about who I would like to become, but it is about who God has made me to become in Christ.
To know Christ then, is the proper starting point because by knowing him, I come to know myself and God’s revealed purposes for my life that are found in Christ. I read about them in his Word, but I experience them by faith in my living union with Christ, “the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God”.
This Mission Statement and this verse is Christ centered, and relationally dynamic. It is about knowing Christ, which is a process, and as the verse states, it is about living life by faith in Christ in a way that reflects his worth and purposes. As 1 Peter 1:8 puts it, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.
This mission statement not only focuses on knowing Christ, but making him known, which encompasses all of the grace-works and mercy ministry involved in a Gospel-centered life. Indeed, apart from our making him known by our ministry in everyday life, we cannot really say that we know him. This is the point that Jesus makes in Matthew 7:21-23, Not everyone who says to me, ‘ Lord, Lord, ’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven…I never knew you, depart from me. One may be involved in religious work apart from faith in Christ, but one may not have true faith in Christ (knowing Christ) without having a heart set on mercy and ministry in his name (making Christ known) (Mt 25:31-46).
Have you considered a Mission Statement for your own life? The good news is that God has a mission statement for all of us that he has revealed in his Word. Ask God for the wisdom to find the best way to personalize that statement in your own life.
