Freedom to Serve in Love

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:13-14 NIV)

The freedom God gives us is freedom from spiritual oppression and from the law of sin and death. Temptation no longer has power over us. Sin no longer has power over us. Death no longer has power over us. We are set free indeed.

When we recognize this freedom and start looking around at the people in our lives, though, we will immediately see the places where they are not set free. We will see them fear. We will see them angry. We will see them in lust, greed, and selfishness. Serving them in love can be difficult because it's hard to see the people we love still in captivity.

If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:15 NIV)

Our first reaction may be to try and convince them of their sin. Maybe we will try to fight them to see God's perspective on the situation. Yet another option is our own fear. We don't say anything because we are afraid to speak up. Of course, none of these are what God calls us to do. God calls us to help one another walk together with God. We all need help in that journey.

This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord. But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish. They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed--an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey--an animal without speech--who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet's madness. These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for "people are slaves to whatever has mastered them." If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud." (2 Peter 2:10-22 NIV)

So how about you? Do you experience freedom in Christ? Have you exercised that freedom to get rid of temptation, sin, and the fear of death in your own life? Do you use that freedom to serve others in love?

Freedom to Walk by The Spirit

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Galatians 5:16-18 NIV)

The law of sin and death no longer have power over those of us who have come home to the Father through the Son and received the Holy Spirit. The power of God's Spirit allows us to walk by the Spirit. The things that got to us before no longer have power over us now. We can get rid of the deeds of the flesh.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21 NIV)

I'm usually a "glass half full" kind of a guy. That's why my teaching often focuses on the positive things God provides for us and the benefits of walking together with God. But just for today, go back and read those negative items on the list above. While you're reading them, may I suggest that you think about all the problems that get introduced into our lives when we live like this. Drunkenness has a long list we could detail. Dissensions, factions, and envy have ruined many a good relationship. Don't get me started on fits of rage. Even sexual immorality introduces problems like sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancies, and the decision to have an abortion to "fix" the "problem." The acts of the flesh can really turn our lives upside down.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:22-24 NIV)

The Spirit leads us into places that are always good. Our minds and hearts are healed by the Spirit. We experience joy and peace by the Spirit. We sleep better at night, enjoy work during the day, have better relationships and know that we are good with God when we walk by the Spirit. God's Spirit really does lead us into a better life than without. It is truly a blessing to walk together with God.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25 NIV)

So how about you? Do you exercise your freedom to walk by the Spirit? Do you keep in step with the Spirit? Do you experience the benefits and blessings that come from it?

Free from Sin and Death

Let's be completely transparent here for a moment. Most of us in the United States of America are not oppressed by the yokes of physical slavery. Even economic oppression for us is still many times better than economic oppression in other parts of the world. In this country, we are free.

We are still enslaved, though. We are still oppressed. Our oppression is not from overbearing parents who won't let us go to the party on Friday night. We are oppressed by our thoughts and habits. We are not enslaved anymore by someone who has kidnapped us from our home and sold us as property to another person. Instead, our slavery is to temptation and sin. We are not alone. The world fights this kind of oppression and slavery. This is why Jesus came to this world. He set us free.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2 NIV)

The "law of sin and death" sounds strange to us as a phrase today. The original readers, though, would have understood this concept well. Whenever an Israelite sinned under the old covenant, they were told to take an animal to the temple as a sacrifice for their sin. They would watch as the priest would slaughter the animal in front of them, pour out the blood, sprinkle the blood on the altar, pour out the rest of the blood, and then burn up the animal on the altar (and, sometimes, outside the camp). This was a constant reminder of the cost of their sin. This was the law of sin and death.

For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4 NIV)

God not only gave us Jesus as the final, perfect sacrifice for our sin. He also sent His Spirit to help us stop sinning as well. Now that we have received the Holy Spirit of God, we have the power of God within us. No temptation can overcome the power of God. No enemy, physical or spiritual, can win against the power of God. Through God's Spirit, we put to death the power of sin and death in our lives.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. (Romans 8:5-9a NIV)

When someone is captive to sin, especially a repetitive cycle of sin, I don't try to help them overcome the habit of sin. I introduce them to God. That's because the power of God changes everything. That's because God's Spirit comes to dwell in us when we return to the Father through the Son. That's because it is through the power of God that we can send away spiritual enemies, throw away tempting thoughts, see the escape for temptation, receive wisdom for that situation, receive peace in all circumstances, and walk together with God.

(And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to Him at all.) (Romans 8:9 NLT)

How about you? Have you received God's Spirit? Has God's Spirit given you freedom from the law of sin and death? Have you been set free?

Freedom From Oppression

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. (Luke 4:14-15 NIV)

It's interesting to study the life of Jesus.  His life is filled with stories of fair-weather fans.  When Jesus healed them, fed them, or taught what they liked to hear, they praised him and followed in large crowds.  When he said or did something they did not like, they crucified him.  This was one of his popular times, because he was going to preach a sermon that "common people" would like.  He was going to proclaim good news for us all.

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:16-19 NIV)

All too often, I think, we miss this picture.  Christians get a bad rep because we come off as stogie, boring, or even mean spirited.  People associate faith and Christianity with the list of things God says we cannot do.  We are associated with restrictions.  The irony of this, though, is that Scripture doesn't describe us that way.  Those of us who are in Christ have been set free.  In this sermon, Jesus refers to people as prisoners, blind, and oppressed.  Now that Jesus has come, we have been set free from prison and oppression.  The blind have been given sight.  Everything changed when Jesus came.

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:20-21 NIV)

How about you?  Do you see Christianity and faith in Christ as limiting and/or oppressive?  Do you see a walk together with God as controlling, restrictive, and a list of things you cannot do?  Or do you see that God has set us free from oppression?  Have you been set free?

Freedom

We just celebrated independence day on the 4th of July. Its a great day when we remember our declaration of independence from England. It was the day we, as a nation, became free. As Christ-followers, though, we have a much greater freedom to celebrate. It is the freedom we experience from being in Christ.

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32 NIV)
Jesus' teachings take us to a place that is different than any other place. Our minds and hearts are set free. Our lives are set free. When we hear, listen to, and follow the truth that Jesus taught, we are set free.

They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:33-36 NIV)
The freedom that Jesus offers, though, is different than the kind of freedom we talk about with our political independence day. Jesus offers to set us free from sin and the consequences that come from sin in our lives. This kind of freedom is much greater than political freedoms. That is because Christ's freedom is eternal and is carried with us no matter what the political terrain may hold. Christ is the only one who can truly set us free.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV)
How about you? Are you free? Have you listened to His Truth so that you free indeed? Does the Spirit of the Lord give you freedom?