This Sunday at Washington Street I'm going to wrap up our "It's A Wonderful Life" series by looking at the gift of "freedom." Paul wrote in Galatians 5 that it was for freedom that Christ has set us free.... good news indeed! Why would he have to remind the Galatians of that? Hadn't they experienced the freedom and new life in Christ? Well, of course they had.... so what was the problem? Well, many of them were wanting to return to their old habits of observing the law. Was there anything wrong with the law? Well, no. Its just that the law was never going to save them and Paul knew that. They were forgetting that their salvation now rested in turning their lives over to Jesus... and not in their efforts to keep the law.
Go back and re-read Galatians 5:1-6 before Sunday and let me know what you think. Today, as we're anticipating the coming of a new year in a few days and making all kinds of resolutions... let us NOT be tempted to go back to our old lives... but to enjoy FULLY the Wonderful Life that is ours in Christ!
John 10:10
1 comment:
Jim, It sounds like a great sermon! It is a wonderful life in Christ and I thank Him that I don't have to figure it all out for myself or be perfectly obedient to the Old Law. The real enigma is the fact that surrendering to Christ leads to freedom. We are no longer slaves to sin but children of God. It reminds me of the story of the Prodigal Son in which the Father states,"for this thy brother was dead, and is alive [again]; and [was] lost, and is found." When we place our faith in Christ we are made alive again and are members of God's family and not bound like a slave. We are children that have a loving Father that loves us enough that He wants to keep us from behavior that would enslave us. It is amazing to watch people claim freedom from 'religion' and you see this 'freedom' lead to addiction, abortion, bitterness, and even to misplaced zealotry. It is encouraging to see that the 1st century dealt with many of the problems that we deal with today and the gospel could answer those challenges. People wanted to pull themselves up by the bootstraps instead of trusting in God's loving care as our Father. In our 'self-help' and 'might makes right' society it is hard for people to submit and allow Christ to work in their lives through His Spirit. The true 'Exodus' occurred when Christ conquered death and lead the captives free! Keep up the good work wild man.
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