The next two holidays in our nation are times in which we hear a lot about freedom, and understandably so. Freedom is such an important value in our land. Freedom is a significant piece of what makes our nation great. Freedom is what so many men and women of our nation have fought and died for, which is what we remember on Memorial Day. Freedom to be our own nation and determine our own direction is what the Revolutionary War was about and the gaining of our Independence from England, which is what we celebrate on the Fourth of July. As I said above, Freedom is a significant aspect of who we are as Americans.
Freedom is also a word that is an important part of our vocabulary and practice as followers of Jesus. It’s a word that is used 10 times in the New Testament in the New Revised Standard Version; 17 times in the New Testament in the New International Version. It’s Paul’s letter to the Galatians that the word freedom and being “free” is most vigorously focused on.
The Apostle Paul started the church in Galatia on his first missionary journey. Of course, there came a point where Paul had to move on. After all, he felt called to spread the Good News of Jesus in the entire region, so there were other communities he wanted to get to. At some point after he had moved on, a group of Jewish Christians came to Galatia, and as they had done in other communities where Paul had started churches, they began to say, “Paul was preaching an incomplete gospel.” You see, this group believed to be a Christian you first had to become a Jew, complete with males adhering to circumcision and males and females following ALL the laws of Moses.
When Paul received word of what was happening back at the church in Galatia, and all the churches he started, he was quite upset, and his words reflect his emotions in what he writes in his letter to the Galatian Church. Paul calls the Galatians, “foolish” twice in his letter. But he goes on to say that it is for “freedom” that Jesus has set us free! In other words, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross has set us free from the legalism of all the laws of Moses. He’s saying that Christ has also set humanity free from the idea of only Jews could be Jesus followers. In other words, Christ opened up what we today call Christianity, to all people, no matter their race or ethnic background. The primary focus is the law of Love, as Christ said, and as Paul points out, “The entire law is summed up in one command, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Another point Paul makes, that is such a powerful statement for us yet today, is that so often humanity tends to believe that freedom means we can do whatever we want, spiritually, personally, politically, etc.. That’s a rather self-indulgent or self-centered view. In fact, Paul addresses this very point saying that we shouldn’t use our freedom “as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love to become slaves to one another.” Galatians 5:13. This is also a part of the promise that God made with Abraham and renewed with Isaac, that they are “blessed to be a blessing.” That covenant continues to each of us today as followers of Jesus.
The other powerful word that Paul writes to the Galatians is that the Fruit of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control- is what we need to strive to live out through our faith. Paul then reminds the Galatians, and us too, there is no law regulating these qualities in the land…or in our lives. Paul’s word / God’s Word is clear for all of us in all aspects of our lives. Let’s use our freedom to love and serve others.
Serving Together,
Pastor Keith