July literally begins with a bang. I love this time of year when we celebrate our FREEDOM as Americans and spend time thanking God that we live in a free country where we can worship freely and do the things we love to do without worry or fear of being imprisoned or killed. And I love fireworks! Things have been crazy in recent years but on our worst days, we still enjoy many freedoms that others around the world will never know. We are blessed to live in the USA!
But I’m more thankful for the FREEDOM I have IN CHRIST because of what He has done for us as believers. Galatians 5:1-6 is a beautiful passage that speaks of that FREEDOM. I don’t have the space to do a complete exegesis of the verses, but I do want to focus on verse 1 and verse 6 briefly.
1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Galatians 5:1 and 6
Notice that in verse 1 it says, “FOR FREEDOM Christ has set us free…” Christ didn’t die to give me freedom so I could wear a badge or sit as a trophy on a shelf. He bought my freedom “FOR” a reason: for me to LIVE by FAITH in Him and LOVE for others. Serving Jesus is something wonderful to live FOR!
Paul pleads for us to choose FREEDOM in Christ over the BONDAGE of legalism. Tragically, in that day many were choosing the latter and forfeiting the power of the grace of Jesus. That continues even today as many live and never experience the true joy of being FREE because they are bound by confidence in what they can do for themselves.
Most people believe that FREEDOM is doing whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it. But that could not be more wrong. If that were freedom, more people would find it and enjoy it.
True Freedom begins with a deep faith and contentment in Christ that allows us to live for Him and then love others unselfishly, just as He loved us. Putting our faith in anything other than Christ , means taking on the bondage of the law and obligating yourself to keep the whole law perfectly which no one other than Jesus Christ has ever been able to do. Instead, let’s choose to live in the FREEDOM Christ has bought for us with His life.
Since freedom was bought at a great price, let’s not waste the opportunity to LIVE IT TO THE FULL, both in our relationship with Christ and in the great country in which we have the privilege of living.