Freedom

Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I have sung it, quoted it in sermons and prayed it in prayer meetings. “It was for freedom that Christ has set us free!” I know it goes on to say Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. But that is not my point, my point is, I have remembered it wrong. You see I learned  the verse, or thought I had learned the verse, from the NIV translation. In the NIV it actually says “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”

You might not think that is significant, but I think it is. I had understood the verse as meaning that the past action of Christ on the cross has set me free in the past. Now while it is totally true that Paul wants us to know that it is the past activity of Christ’s life, death, resurrection and ascension that has broken the power of sin in our lives and justified us before the Father.

He also wants his readers to know that their freedom is a present reality. We are meant to live lives of freedom in the here and now of daily life. What Christ has achieved once and for all in the past, we are meant to joyfully live out our freedom looking forward to abundant life in Him.

Now, if you were to stop someone in the street and ask them to give you one word that summed up Christianity, what do you think they’d say? I could almost guarantee that what they wouldn’t say would be freedom. And if it was you who were stopped on the street, I suspect you wouldn’t either.

And, if they looked at you blankly, unable to come up with a word, and you suggested freedom as an option, they’d probably reply ‘Freedom?What planet are you from? Because that’s not exactly the popular image of Christianity, is it? Obeying the rules, restricting my freedom, yes, but Christianity = freedom. I don’t think so.

So, if by some chance you were asking people on the streets of Galatia for a one word summary of Christianity, and you just happened to bump into Paul, he wouldn’t hesitate to say, “Freedom! For freedom, Christ has set us free.”

Which means that Paul is saying that a religion of scrupulously keeping the rules is no better than paganism. It doesn’t matter whether you’re running after and worshipping the gods of wealth, or sex, or power, or health, or you’re a highly religious, upright moral person trying to obey the rules, both are enslaved. Both are trying to earn favour with God or the gods, both are trying to prove themselves. Both are wracked by pride because they think they’re better than others, or insecurity, because they know they’re not.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Jewish law keeper, or a pagan idol worshipper, a highly moral conservative or an out and out liberal, both are enslaved by the drive to perform, to prove yourself, to earn and win acceptance.

And Paul is saying, Christ has set you free from that. That’s how you used to live when you were pagans.  Dlu on’t go back to that by following religious rule keeping. Instead he says, stand firm, stay on your guard, keep watch, resist. Because, while you can’t lose your salvation, you can lose the freedom your salvation in Christ brings.

We don’t serve others in order to make God love us or approve of us because He already does love us. We realize that God has forgiven us, so then we can forgive others. God has given grace and mercy to us, so then we can give grace and mercy to others. God has loved us, so therefore we can love others. Our service to others is an overflow of what God has already done in us and for us through Christ Jesus.

Paul wants Christians to realize that they are free in Christ. We often think of this as freedom from something—the removal of restraint. However, Christian freedom is also freedom to something. We have been set free from the curse and burden of keeping the Law, and we have been set free to live for the glory of God. Our Freedom is not a license to sin that would be an abuse of God’s grace.

We were created to live for the glory of God. However, due to the fall we have been slaves to sin ever since Adam and Eve’s rebellion in Eden. We were powerless to fix this on our own, so God sovereignly intervened.

Enter Jesus. Now at salvation, the debt Jesus paid to ransom us from our sin slavery is applied, and we are set free to live as we were originally designed. Though, this won’t be perfectly realized until we are glorified with God after death. We are free not to sin. Today you are free to glorify God at work, school and in your everyday conversations!!!

Father, thank You for this day and that we have been set free by Christ and are no longer under bondage to the Law. Lord, open the floodgates of heaven and pour out Your abundant blessings over my friend and family today. Thank You that through the Holy Spirit's work within, we are enabled to live our lives for others and not for selfish inclinations. Lord, continue to work in us and through us so that we may live a life that is pleasing to You and glorifying to Your Holy Name. Keep us from falling back under bondage to legalistic practices, knowing that we have been set free by grace through faith Your finished work on Calvary.

Father, we love You.  Amen !