Independence From The Law

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

The Fourth of July is a day that we celebrate our independence as a nation. We broke free from England's rule and established ourselves as a free country, able to choose our own destiny. We celebrate with barbecues and fireworks.

Today our country is struggling with whether we are going to remain free or if we will submit itself to a form of communist or fascist government. It seems the value of freedom has not been properly handed down through the generations and now we face a crisis of belief. Who are we as a country? We seem to be a country of helicopter moms who believe the state needs to exact that same control over its citizens.

I believe this crisis illustrates to us in a profound way the nature of Christian thought versus Judaic thought. Paul in Galatians writes a letter to a church dealing with this same issue. They were being told in order to be saved, they needed to submit themselves to the Old Testament law. They needed to be circumcised in order to be truly Christian. Paul calls hogwash on this whole argument.

"But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith." Galatians 3:25-26

Paul puts it out here simply that you need to pick what you are going to put your trust in. If you put your trust in circumcision, then you are going to have to keep the whole law. If you put your trust in Christ, then you are not under the law. He encourages the church to continue to rely on Christ for their righteousness. The law cannot save.

Paul's argument culminates with our verse today, it was for freedom Christ set us free, therefore stand firm. Paul's instruction to the church is similar to what we need to do in the US today, we need to stand firm in our freedoms. Paul's instruction to stand firm is important to us as Christians. We need to value our freedom from the law. In doing so we are honoring the grace given to us by the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

Freedom is a gift to us. The choice as Paul puts it is - either be free or submit yourself back to slavery. The contrast is stark. Do you want to be a slave or a free man? Today, our choice is the same. Slavery or freedom, which will you choose?

Prayer - Father, thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross to set us free from the yoke of slavery that is the law. Thank you for opening our eyes to see that you set us free from that slavery. Help us to stand firm in the freedom that we have in Christ. Help us to put all of our trust in you and not in the law or traditions of man. Amen.