Unthinkable! Can you imagine children — learning of their national forefathers and their fight for freedom — spurning the sacrifice and giving away the liberty purchased by sweat and blood?
Unthinkable! Can you imagine next-generation of African Americans — learning the horrors of their parents and experiencing the liberty that is their birthright from God — forgetting the pain, spurning the sacrifice, and marching back on to the plantation to submit again to the yoke of devilish masters?
Unthinkable! Can you imagine the adopted children of the Father – those engaged to the Son, and filled with the Spirit — spurning the Gospel and acting as if it were not sufficient? Can you imagine them discounting Christian liberty and placing themselves back under the bondage of devils and men?
Such was the condition of many in ancient Turkey.
Such remains the temptation of many in the United States today.
To them and to us, Paul writes, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
Dear friends, don’t do it! Because Jesus Christ went to war and finished the deal, we are …
- Free from the bondage of the devil
- Free from the addictions of the flesh
- Free from the obligation to perform to receive the Father’s blessings
- Free from the curse of the Law
- Free from the condemnation of the Judge
- Free from the need to pay for your sins
- Free from shame
- Free from the need to create your own identity
- Free from the need to find your own purpose in life
- Free from the need to make yourself significant
- Free to call the Almighty, “Father” or “Dearest Dad”
- Free to confidently waltz into his reverential presence
- Free to follow your new hearts
- Free to love differently
- Free to sacrifice short-term pleasure while waiting for eternal delight
- Free to storm the gates of hell, resist the devil, and plunder his house
Therefore, let us ignore the temptation of the devil as he seeks to lure us back to his house of slavery.
And ignore the temptation of the flesh as it seeks to remind us of our former condition.
And ignore the temptation of the world — even the religious world — as it tells us what we must do to find significance with man and acceptance from God.
Hear the truth again, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
Oh Christian, let’s enjoy and celebrate our liberty! This is our new condition.
Oh Christian, let’s sing and share our liberty! Let’s become freedom fighters. Let’s rescue a neighbor still in bondage in a nearby neighborhood. They desperately need the sabbath and shalom we enjoy.
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Unfathomable Grace 