Readings for today: Galatians 4-6
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” - Galatians 5:1
We are born into sin. On this point the Bible is clear. We are not born innocent. We are not born neutral. We are not a “tabula rasa” when we come into this world. We are slaves. Enslaved to the elementary powers of this world. Demonic powers of darkness whose influence is far-reaching and against whom we are powerless in our natural state. We are enslaved to our own desires. Desires that, though originally God-given, have become twisted and disoriented and corrupted by sin. We are enslaved to idols. These are the things we fear losing the most. They are often the source of recurring nightmares. And we spend a ton of energy protecting them against any threats. How do we know we are enslaved? The test is fairly simple. If you are willing to commit sin in order to achieve some goal, fulfill some desire, or protect some asset or ideology, you are enslaved.
Thankfully, Christ has set us free. He has set us free by defeating the demonic powers of darkness through His atoning death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. He has set us free by giving us a new heart with new desires to replace the corrupt hearts of stone with which we were born. He has set us free by dethroning the idols of our lives and establishing His reign and rule over our lives. This is why the Apostle Paul tells his Galatian friends not to submit again to a yoke of slavery. If Christ has done all this work for you, why would you ever want to go back? Why would you choose to return to paganism? Or a life under the Law? Why would you choose to subject yourself to anything but the Spirit of God?
Now I can already hear the pushback. What about those who would choose to use their freedom as an opportunity to sin? Paul is equally clear here as well. “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13) The freedom Christ offers us is not just a freedom “from” something but also a freedom “to” something. We are set free in order to serve. We are set free in order to love. We are set free in order to give our lives for the sake of those around us. And this is not something we do in our own effort. We do it by embracing and walking with the Holy Spirit. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) If you and I walk hand in hand and keep in step with the Spirit of God, we will not pursue sin. It will hold no attraction for us. It will have no power over us. Instead, we will be producing fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The more we produce the fruit of the Spirit, the less room there is for the weeds of sin to grow.
Readings for tomorrow: Acts 15-16