“Hold On To Your Freedom”

Galatians 4:27-5:1

27) For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

28) Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

29) But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

30) Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

31) So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

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o frequently, we fail to appreciate what the Lord has done for us because of our thinking. The freedom that is one of the greatest privileges of being saved is much to easily comprised by the very ones who have been set free.

It is essential to our spiritual survival that we become adept at recognizing “flesh” (in all its many forms). For until we fully commit ourselves to the Lord, we can know that thinking for ourselves will get us into trouble, but yet still choose to follow it.

The people of God seem to deal with freedom as a partial state. That is, some of us seem to believe that we will be able to live after the flesh, yet remain unbound, retaining our freedom. In that the wisdom of God is greater and more lasting than any of man’s wisdom, it obviously could not be dependent upon what we can think, feel or do.

Traditionally, when we see those without children, we are conditioned to be sad for them. This is particularly true in the background of Jewish women; for a woman who was barren (or failed to bear a male) was scorned. Verse 27 of our text tells us that one without Christ (as his husband) may seem to have more “children” than one joined to Christ. Yet, the concern of the writer is that we know to rejoice in spite of appearances.

We cannot now and never could allow surface appearances to affect our perception of what is really going on. We see from this verse that yes it may appear that the desolate are more blessed, but the fact remains that it is us (the presumably barren) who are instructed to rejoice. Why? Because our “birth” is that which brings us our freedom (Galatians 5:1).

That fact that such a high price was paid and such a delicate item obtained should speak something to us. What it should say is that this very delicate freedom is not granted to us to abuse. Freedom does not mean that one has been granted the right to “tell someone else off.” Freedom does not mean that one has the right to “have a fling for the flesh.” Freedom means that one has been liberated from bondage to the flesh and therefore is able to say “no” to all which does not promote holiness. When one has been freed by the Saviour and understands what was done and its preciousness, he realizes that descent back into bondage is just not worth it!

We must hold onto our salvation at any cost—staying saved at any cost. We must live to glorify God. By any calculation, this is a small price to pay for all that we have been given. In that we have been granted two of the greatest freedoms (freedom from sin and self), how do we so quickly relinquish it?

Holding onto our freedom is essential if we are going to know and appreciate the truth. It is sincere commitment and dedication to the Lord which keeps our minds uncluttered and unfettered. A free mind is a mind which loves the truth of the word of God and cannot get enough. The free mind rejoices in the fact that the truth of God teaches that one can be holy, live sinless and dedicated to the service of God.

Let our determination to hold on to our freedom become an addiction—an addiction to the truth of God’s word.