“Christ Has Made Us Free”

Galatians 5:1-5

1) Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2) Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

3) For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

4) Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

5) For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Preface

W

e must remember that Jesus came to “minister (“to perform service”) rather than to be ministered to. Therefore, the motive of the ministry is “service.” We must know then, what that service is.

Main Thought

Have you ever really thought about “bondage?” When one has succumbed to it, it means that he has become subservient to something that is “over” him. To combat this in our spiritual lives, we are to remain “still” and not take upon ourselves that from which we have been set free.

In the case of Egypt and Israel, Israel had a “focus” for their “blame.” Since they considered Egypt responsible for their bondage, they believed that the “solution” to that bondage was to “get away” from them. To them, this represented “freedom.”

It is not so easy for us to escape what we consider bondage, for reality, bondage is flesh and not as easily identified. Why is this? Because rarely do we know that our problem is the “self”—and all that it represents.

Our “reality” is that all bondage is to self: that is, we listen only to “self,” we believe only “self” and we serve only “self.” When we say “we,” it must always be remembered that this applies to you only if you live as a human being. The really “dangerous” thing is that though not “reality,” what we concoct in our minds becomes “law” and “gospel.”

We are granted “freedom” by and through the Lord. However, that freedom only becomes realized in us through our being put to death with Christ.

We live in a day and time when all manner of theological truths are being debated not the least of which is baptism. In all instances, the reason that controversy arises and no conclusions are reached is because those with no Spirit are being asked and expected to come up with spiritual insight into spiritual topics.

Many times, the only reason that some men get acclaim over others is because Man (through his fleshly nature) is attracted to titles, an exciting “turn of phrase” or status and stature.

No matter one’s theological training, educational degrees or “renown,” if he is without the Holy Spirit, he will be without the truth, for the Holy Spirit is the only Revealer of Truth. Though all that the Lord gives is truth, this will not be recognized unless the receiver does his “processing” through the Spirit. Human beings are only capable of receiving information through human perceptions (which limits him to what can be understood through his five senses). Therefore, if he would understand that which is from the Lord (Who is a Spirit), he will have to operate in the Spirit.

Paul freely declares that he was born into the World “handicapped.” Once he accepted instruction from the Lord, he acknowledged that he had never understood spiritual things. Because he was sincere and wanted the “best” of God, he was willing to accept this as a problem. Too often, we are unwilling to do the same, for the more we feel we are “blessed with,” naturally (e.g. intelligence, “understanding”), the better off we see ourselves.

When we become united with Christ, we are required to “mortify (kill) our “old Man.” Rather than to bring us down, the Lord does this that there might be no impediment to our relationship with Him.

There is an urgency for us to understand exactly how reprehensible the flesh is. As time “winds down, “the Lord is testing us that we might come to recognize this in ourselves before it is truly “too late.”

For too long, we have believed that salvation involved “fixing” that which is “wrong” with us through a series of “steps” and “processes.” Here’s what has always been true” that flesh can never be trained to accept “permanent denial,” which it must if one living in it is to be saved.

That contained within us which determines us to be Homo sapiens is commonly known as DNA. Being “pre-determinate,” it cannot be changed. The only way “out” of this “mess” is by being “put to death” with Jesus, which “frees” us from bondage to the flesh. Herein, is contained the “value” of our union with Christ: the “privilege” of answering” to no one but God.

The freedom granted us comes with a price. Since it is granted by Another, we become “bondservants” to that One. This means that we must walk in His Spirit in order to do as He requires. Freedom does not confer upon us the “right” to do as we please.

The freedom that we enjoy became ours when we accepted the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord. Having done so, as Jesus was, so are we to be resurrected to a life completely unlike that that we lived before. This means that not only do we “answer” to Another, but that “Other” takes the responsibility for us. You see, since we were willing to be led by Him, in exchange, He completely cares for us. His care is also thorough, for though He purchased us “as is,” He is willing to “add” to His “purchase” whatever is needed to make us what He wants.

The order of the day is “change.” If we are really concerned about others, we will realize that in order for them to be helped, they must be changed. This means, of course, that the one who introduces them to be helped, they must be changed. This means, of course, that the one who introduces the concept of change must be changed, himself.

It is no small feat that “Christ has made us free.” Sometimes, the lives that we live would seem to suggest that there is something that we have done for ourselves. The truth of the matter is that all of what we are is because of “Jesus, only.” No one possessed “what it took” to change a degraded, non-productive, doomed life but Him. That change was possible only because He loved us enough to allow the tests that would reveal to us what we lacked. What adjective should be applied to the value of this? “Priceless.”