Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
July 1, 1984
Christian Freedom
Galatians 5:1, 13-14, KJV
What happened on the fourth of July? Who can tell me?
That's right, on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. By signing it the thirteen colonies announced that they wanted to be liberated from the control of England. We declared independence but we didn't possess it. It took six years of war to make the liberty a reality. When we finally won, England couldn't tell us what to do anymore.
Our liberty as Americans is a very valued possession but there is a liberty that Christians have that is even more important. We have the freedom to personally accept Christ and receive salvation. You don't have to rely on your family or neighbors - you can make the decision yourself. We also have the freedom to confess our sins directly to God. We don't need a go-between like other religions. No one has to tell us how to run our lives. We are free to seek God's guidance and make our own decisions.
Becoming a Christian should be the most liberating thing that can happen to a person. I've stressed the religious aspects like the daily guidance by God but other things can be changed as well. A Christian should be liberated from the fear of death. God also wants to deliver us from the destructive habits that affect so many people. Our thinking, our actions and our personal relationships should become more free and exciting. In verse 1 Paul warns the Galatians:
"Stand fast in your Christian liberty."
That means you have to hold your ground and ward off attacks or you'll lose it. Freedom has always been easy to lose. Back in 1968 I was living at the American Army post in West Berlin, Germany. Since Berlin is deep behind the Iron Curtain, getting in or out was always a hassle. In addition to our passports we needed special papers signed by the Russians called flag orders. All this detail made trips exciting, especially, when our Boy Scout troop went to summer camp. After wading through the red tape we would get on a military train and head for the camp in West Germany.
Before each trip through East Germany the military police always told us to be on the lookout. If we saw any communist army activity we were supposed to report it. Normally the most eventful part of the trip was when we soaked the train in a water fight. We did that every time. We also tried to get Russian guards to trade us their belts and hats for whiskey and girlie magazines. Usually those guards were the only military activity we saw but not on that trip in 1968. Every other train we passed was loaded with Russian troops and heavy tanks. We saw so much equipment we lost count. We reported all of this to the American MPs when we arrived in the West. A few days later the world watched as those Russian tanks rolled through Prague, Czechoslovakia, and crushed the liberating political reforms that nation had started.
Freedom is always in danger as the world has witnessed many times since 1968. This fact is especially true for Christians. Paul says in verse 1:
"Be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
There are different ways for a Christian to lose their freedom. One of them is legalism. The context of today's passage deals with this, especially verses 2 through 9. Legalism is when you base salvation on rules rather than on God's free gift of Jesus. A legalistic Christian will tell you you'd better not smoke, dance, play cards, wear shorts, read certain books or have long hair. They may say they believe in Jesus but a legalist is really trying to earn their way into heaven. What am I saying here? Are true Christians free to practice all these things? Not necessarily, but your salvation is not based on them. By stressing these little points, legalists lose the big picture.
The advantage of legalism is that it's concrete. You can know if you're making the grade or not. Your heart may be full of bigotry and greed but you're safe because you're not seen in the wrong places. When you get right down to it, legalism is a form of slavery. You give up your freedom for a sense of security. This probably explains the popularity or preachers who are dictators. You don't have to study your Bible - they'll do it for you. You don't even have to think because they've got everything figured out.
An extreme form of this is called shepherding. In a group that practices shepherding the members answer to the pastor for everything. He gives you permission to get married, change your job or color your hair. Groups like this quickly become cults which thrive on people who can't handle freedom. They are willing to let others handle the decisions of their lives.
At the other extreme is the danger Paul mentions in verse 13. He says:
"Brothers, you have been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh."
The NIV translates the second part a little more clearly:
"Do not use your freedom to indulge your sinful nature."
Just as legalism is a danger to Christian freedom, so is license. License means you can do anything you want and God doesn't care. The people who opposed the apostle Paul said he taught this. Since a person is saved by faith in Jesus alone and not by any good works they do, it stands to reason that you can't be unsaved by any bad works you might do. Your works don't matter one way or another. As a matter of fact, the more sins you commit the more God can forgive you which makes him look good. Paul says this is a perversion of the gospel. The teaching that once you're saved you're always saved does not mean you can sin all you want and still be safe. If you can feel that casually toward sin you probably haven't accepted Christ as your Savior to begin with.
There is a genuine freedom in being a Christian. It's not a freedom to do whatever we want. It's a freedom to do what God wants. The greatest expression of Christian liberty is found in the end of verse 13 and verse 14:
"By love serve one another, for all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
Love is at the center of the Christian message. It's probably more correct to say love is at the center of the message of the whole Bible, because the expression "Love thy neighbor" comes from the Old Testament. Jesus showed us love by taking our place on the cross. We can show love by spending our lives in less drastic ways. We can visit the sick in hospitals and help out those who are unemployed.
As a Christian I don't drink alcohol but the average non-Christian doesn't care. They want to see if I'm a loving person who's not uptight about minor issues in life.
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Typed on October 30, 2005, by Sharon Lesko of Ledgewood Baptist Church, New Jersey
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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