Freedom
It is for
freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let
yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Mark
my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ
will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised
that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been
alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we
eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither
circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The
only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
You
were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from
the one who calls you. “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” I am confident in the Lord that you will take no
other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be,
will have to pay the penalty. Brothers and sisters, if I am still
preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.
As for those agitators, I wish
they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
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
5:1-14
Some things can be used
for good and evil. In the hands of capable, careful, and caring people,
something dangerous becomes glorious. But the opposite is also true. Freedom –
the very thing we celebrate with fireworks – can also be used for good and
evil. As believers in Christ, we are free from the restrictive Mosaic law, but the Bible warns us not to use our spiritual freedom
for selfish purposes.
Not everyone has
political and religious freedom, but all believers in Christ have spiritual
freedom. We must not use it as a weapon to impose our will on others but to
display the glory of God’s will.
Freedom
doesn’t give us the right to do what we please, but to do what pleases God.
Our Daily Bread –