"no" Is A Beautiful Word. It Set Me Free

3.27.22 Romans 8:1–4 (EHV)

1 So then, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 Indeed, what the law was unable to do, because it was weakened by the flesh, God did, when he sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to deal with sin. God condemned sin in his flesh, 4 so that the righteous decree of the law would be fully satisfied in us who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.

“No” Is A Beautiful Word. It Set Me Free

The Spirit of life set me free . . . it’s such a strong statement, especially from Paul. If anyone was seemingly free, prior to his conversion, it was Paul. He had freedom to worship when he wanted and where he wanted. He had the power to go and arrest Christians and bring them to trial. Yet here Paul described himself as if he were living in prison at that time.

How so? There are different kinds of imprisonment. A young Ukrainian college student was on a cramped bus with people getting car sick, but she wasn’t complaining about it. She said, “Around me is a beautiful sunset. Today was a very beautiful day and just some cool nature and some cool people. I was terrified of this when the war started, when I got to thinking about it. But the moment I go to do things. I have a task. I have to buy my things. I have to go to the railway station. I have to find the train. As long as I have these little tasks, the fear doesn’t exist. Right now I am calm as long as I don’t think about the future. Now it is fine. I’m not scared.” It was kind of an amazing thing that even though she was in terrible conditions, in the middle of a war, she still found beauty in life. She didn’t let her conditions completely defeat her.

What’s the opposite? I think of the couple that just can’t stop arguing with each other. All they see are the faults in their spouse. They’re locked up by anger. I think of the disgruntled young mother who feels locked up in her life by her children that she has to constantly feed and take care of. The elderly person who feels locked up in an old body. The drug or alcohol addict who is locked up by their desire. The child who is addicted to social media. What does it take to set them free? It depends on the circumstances. Usually it takes a miracle.

That’s what happened for Paul. He was on the way to Damascus to persecute Christians. In a spiritual way, he was locked up with a self righteous attitude and a desire to get rid of Christianity. He was convinced he was doing the right thing by locking up Christians. Jesus showed up on the way. Scared him to death. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” That confrontation, along with a few days of living in blindness, a baptism, and Paul was set free from his old mind set.

The jailer at Philippi had been abusing Paul and Silas. The jail doors flew open. If the prisoners escaped, the jailer would be put to death. He was ready to kill himself. Then Paul gave him good news. “We’re all here! Don’t harm yourself!” Scared the jailer to death, but also gave him life. “What must I do to be saved?” Repent and be baptized! The jailer was set free by the one who was in jail.

Think about the Gospel lesson for today. The young man who wanted to get free from his father’s house was imprisoned with the idea that if he was free from his father he’d be happy to do whatever he wanted. He probably felt as free as a bird when he left home at first. Little did he know how enslaving his sins would be. In the meantime the other son was just as enslaved as he stayed at home. He seemed like he had life together and as free as could be. Yet he only looked at his life of duty as slavery. He didn’t take time to enjoy anything while at home. One was a slave to the sin of entertainment. The other was a slave to the sin of pride and duty.

Do you have an imprisoned mentality? “If only I didn’t have to live at home any more. If only I didn’t have this job. If only I could get my back fixed. If only I would just die . . . I’m scared now that my spouse has died. I’m angry. I’m lonely. I need to get this paid off . . . I need to find a new relationship . . . ” The list goes on. We always seem to be trying to escape something, fight something, get rid of something, enjoy something - to get our minds off of the sinfulness of life, the disappointments, the health problems, the sorrow, the misery, the death. Paul tried to rise above sin and death through an exemplary lifestyle, through a dedication to his rabbinic religion and faith. All it did was enslave him.