Called To Freedom

Called to Freedom

Galatians 5:13-26

Do you remember when as a child you could hardly wait until you grew up? I can remember many times when I would just think about how great it would be when I became a teenager. As a teenager, I thought I would be able to do so many things that I couldn’t do as a pre-teen. I don’t remember anyone using that term “pre-teen” back then, but still, getting to my teen years seemed to be the focus of all my thoughts. I just knew that when I became a teenager, everything was going to be great. Dances, going to football and basketball games without adult supervision, learning to drive and going to the drive-in theater, dragging Main Street—I just knew that life would be perfect when I became a teenager.

But as a teenager, I quickly realized that the freedoms I gained only seemed to highlight all the freedoms I didn’t have. I still had to get permission to go places or do things. I didn’t have a job, so I had to ask my parents for money. I didn’t have my own car, so I had to borrow the family car whenever I could. There were still things I couldn’t do and places I couldn’t go to because I just wasn’t old enough. Plus, all the stress associated with the teen years in school, the group of kids I hung out with weren’t from the popular group, and the girls I wanted to get to know wouldn’t give me the time of day. So, as a teenager I began looking toward the day when I became an adult because surely, life would be better when I had unlimited freedom to do whatever I wanted to do.

But as an adult, I learned the hard way that being able to do whatever I wanted to do wasn’t all that great, and the idea of having unlimited freedom was really an illusion because there is always someone around who’s going to tell you “You can’t do that!” Or if you do that “You’re going to jail.”

You know, back when Saddam Hussein was the powerful dictator of Iraq, he exercised strict control over many aspects of Iraqi life. He was able to keep a firm hand over vices such as prostitution, alcohol, and drugs but when his regime fell, every sort of depravity became common practice and the sex trade quickly flourished. Many, especially young adult men when asked about this would respond by saying, “Now we have freedom.”

Some people, when they read Galatians think that this is what Paul is talking about. They’ll say that since we’re not under the law, we now have freedom to do whatever we want. Paul knew that some people would think this way which is why he made his point very clear when he wrote Gal 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

So, what is this freedom Paul is speaking of? What do you do with freedom when you get it? Does freedom mean “party all the time like some might think?” You see, when we look through the letter to the Galatians, we find that it says that we are free in Christ. We are not obligated to keep the law in order to be accepted by God. We are free from the law as a means of salvation. Jesus paid our debt in full, so we can’t add anything at all to what He did for us to be accepted.

But if we don’t have to obey the law to be accepted by God, does that mean that we can live however we want? If we’re not under the law, then what, if anything, should guide our conduct? This is what I want to try to answer today.

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Gal 5:13-26 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (14) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." (15) But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! (16) I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (19) Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, (20) idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, (21) envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (24) And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (26) Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.