旧“我”和新“我”
现在我们必须往前看旧我与新我的不同。我们可能因着很熟悉二章二十节，就把这一节视为理所当然，好像已经了解的样子。但旧我和新我到底有甚么不同？按照天然的领会，有的人会说，旧我是邪恶的，新我是好的。对于旧我和新我之差异的这个观念，我们必须弃绝。旧我是没有神的成分在其中，新我却得着了神圣的生命。旧我因着神加到里面作生命，就成了新我。已经了结的“我”，是没有神性的“我”。仍然活着的“我”，是加进了神的“我”。这里有很大的不同。旧“我”，就是没有神的“我”，已经了结了。但新“我”仍然活着，就是旧“我”复活加上神所产生的“我”。一面，保罗已经了结；但另一面，复活的保罗，重生以神作生命的保罗，仍然活着。
因着许多基督徒拒绝神的光，他们对于二章二十节的这种领会是瞎眼的。他们若听见这样论到旧我和新我的话，就会拒绝。然而，他们的拒绝毫无根据。他们既是真基督徒，就已经蒙了重生。当一个人重生了，他就不会消灭或灭亡。重生的意思，就是神加到我们里面。从前我们里面没有神，因着重生，神现今加到我们里面来。没有神在其中的“我”过去了。这是旧“我”、旧人，已经与基督同钉十字架。但自从我们开始珍赏主耶稣，并且那运行的信在我们里面作工的时候起，这信就把经过过程的三一神带到我们里面，并且把神加到我们里面。从那个时候起，我们就有了新“我”，就是有神在其中的“我”。因此，新“我”乃是旧“我”复活加上神所产生的“我”。赞美主！旧我已经了结了，现今是新我活着！
与基督同活
在二章二十节保罗说，“基督在我里面活着。”根据替换生命的观念，我们的生命了结了，而基督活着。但我们需要更透彻的领会，甚么是基督在我们里面活着。要领会基督活着相当容易，但要领会基督如何在我们里面活着，就很困难了。这不是说，我已经钉了十字架，不再活着了，乃是基督替我活着。一面，保罗说，“不再是我；”另一面，他说，“基督在我里面活着。”“在我里面”这句话非常重要。不错，是基督活着，但祂是活在我们里面。
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The Old “I” and the New “I” — Gal. 2:20
Now we must go on to see the difference between the old “I” and the new “I.” Because we are so familiar with 2:20, we may take this verse for granted and assume that we understand it. But what is the difference between the old “I” and the new “I”? According to the natural understanding, some would say that the old “I” is evil, whereas the new “I” is good. This concept of the difference between the old “I” and the new “I” must be rejected. The old “I” had nothing of God in it, whereas the new “I” has received the divine life. The old “I” has become a new “I” because God as life has been added to it. The “I” that has been terminated is the “I” that was without divinity. The “I” who still lives is the “I” into which God has been added. There is a great difference here. The old “I,” the “I” without God, has been terminated. But the new “I” still lives, the “I” that came into being when the old “I” was resurrected and had God added to it. On the one hand, Paul has been terminated. But, on the other hand, a resurrected Paul, one with God as his life, still lives.
Because of their rejection of God’s light many Christians are blind to this understanding of 2:20. If they heard such a word about the old “I” and the new “I,” they would reject it. Their rejection, however, would be completely without ground. As genuine Christians, they have been regenerated. When a person is regenerated, he is not annihilated or destroyed. To be regenerated means to have God added into us. In regeneration, we who once did not have God in us now have Him added to us. The very “I” who did not have God in it is over. This is the old “I,” the old man, who has been crucified with Christ. But from the time that we began to appreciate the Lord Jesus and the operating faith began to work in us, this faith brought the processed Triune God into us and added Him to our being. From that time onward, we have had a new “I,” an “I” with God in it. Hence, the new “I” is the old “I” which has become an “I” resurrected with God added to it. Praise the Lord that the old “I” has been terminated and the new “I” now lives!
Living with Christ
In 2:20 Paul says, “Christ lives in me.” According to the concept of an exchanged life, our life is terminated and Christ lives. But we need a more thorough understanding of what it means to say that Christ lives in us. It is rather easy to understand that Christ lives. But it is difficult to understand how Christ lives in us. This does not mean that I have been crucified and live no longer, and that Christ lives instead of me. On the one hand, Paul said, “no longer I”; on the other hand, he said, “Christ lives in me.” The phrase “in me” is of great importance. Yes, it is Christ who lives, but it is in us that He lives.