Title Galatians 05:1 Christian Freedom and Obedience
Contents
Text: Galatians 5:1
Title: Christian Freedom and Obedience
In Luke 4:18-19, the purpose of Jesus' coming to this earth is clearly summarized. “The Spirit of the Lord has come upon me, because he has anointed me and sent me to preach the gospel to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and restoration of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to the grace of the Lord. that the year of righteousness might be preached.”
The purpose of Jesus coming to this earth is for the sake of human freedom. That's right. Christianity aims to realize true freedom for sin-bound humans. The words given at this time are also about freedom.
The book of Galatians is called "The Great Charter of Christian Freedom". Looking at the background, heresy entered the Galatia church founded by Paul. The cult was false teachers, teaching that not only Jesus Christ is saved by faith, but the law must also be observed. And he insisted on being circumcised as a necessity. So, there was a strong movement to get circumcised among the church members.
The Apostle Paul said, "If you are circumcised, Christ will do you no good." And if you want to keep the law, you have to keep the whole law. Jesus died on the cross to set us free and became a sin offering.
So, what is the freedom given to us?
1. Theoretical Freedom Concept
Freedom is the greatest privilege and happiness that God has given to mankind. Since ancient times, it has been said that the greatest happiness in life is freedom, not power or wealth, and the only basis for all existence is “freedom”.
1) The world speaks of freedom
What is freedom in the world? In the Korean dictionary, it is said, “To act as one wishes without being constrained or bound by anything.” On the other hand, in the philosophical dictionary, (1) political freedom means democracy, and (2) psychological freedom means choice. (3) metaphysical freedom is freedom in itself to experience the fact that one exists in a supertemporal, supercausal way.
In addition, the categories of freedom are broad, and there are several types of freedom, including freedom of conscience, moral freedom, legal freedom, and political freedom.
Milton said, “Give me, above all other freedoms, freedom to know, freedom to think, freedom to believe, and freedom to speak according to your conscience.” The freedom of the world means the right to live as a human being and live according to one's own will.
2) Christian freedom
The Apostle Paul mentioned two freedoms: (1) physical freedom and (2) spiritual freedom of faith. And regarding these two freedoms, in verse 13, “Brothers, you were called to freedom, but do not use that freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” is revealed to be spiritual freedom.
Augustine says of freedom, “Love God. Then do as you please.” This is an expression of biblical freedom based on an ethic of love. In other words, Christians are called to freedom, not to be under the law. Therefore, since love itself is the fulfillment of the law, no strict demands are placed upon us. The basis for this is Matthew 22:37-40.
- “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. and of the prophets.”
We believe in love as opposed to the law, and we believe that freedom is a good thing while legalism is bad. People generally don't like to do things out of a sense of duty. That is why Christians, too, love God first, and then do whatever they like according to the movement of their hearts, not according to any sense of duty.
For example, Christians sometimes don't feel like going to church, praying, reading the Bible, evangelizing, or donating. If, nevertheless, you have to do it, you are obviously not free, and it will be a legal act.
But there is something wrong with this freedom. Augustine's own words are wrong. The expression that “you can do whatever you want” is absurd, just because you are free. However, many people today fall into this wrong concept. Then let's feel the reality of freedom that Jesus Christ speaks of.
2. The Christian's Practical Freedom
Let's look at verses 13-15.
In verse 13, the apostle Paul says that the practical freedom of Christians is “serving one another in love.” In other words, Christian freedom entails acts of love. And Jesus said in John 14:15 that with love comes obligation. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
Put simply, Christian freedom is redeemed by love. But this redemption leads not to oppression, but to joyful obedience. Love is devotion to another. It involves the special choice of doing things that your loved ones will enjoy, not doing what you like. And this choice means being willing to sacrifice the freedom I have for myself. As such, love is not a theory, but a practical, volitional element involving obedience and sacrifice.
- 1 Corinthians 10:33, “Like me, please everyone in all things, seeking not my own, but the good of many, that they may be saved.” Romans 15:1-3, “We who are strong ought to bear the weakness of the weak, and not please ourselves. Let each one of us please our neighbor, for the good and for the edification. Christ did not please Him, as it is written, The slander of those who slander You has come upon me.” Matthew 26:39, “Going a little further, and with his face to the ground, he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; but not as I will, but as you will.”
Jesus didn't do what He himself liked. He always did the will of God the Father. There is only one reason, because of the unspeakable deep love. This fact can be found in John 17.
- John 17:21-23, “As you are in me and I in you, so they may all be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that has been given to me, that they may be one, as we are one. I am in them, and you are in me, so that they may be made one whole, so that the world may know that you sent me and that you loved them as you loved me.” / John 6:38-39, “I did not come down from heaven to do my will, but to do the will of him who sent me. This is the will of the one who sent me that I should not lose any of those who have given me, but raise them up on the last day.
Like Jesus, by sacrificing their own freedom, he promised special graces to those who are determined to obey God. The promise is, “You will abide in the love of Jesus Christ.”
-John 15:10, "As I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love, so if you keep my commandments you will abide in my love."
To abide in the love of Jesus Christ
① That prayers will be answered (John 15:7),
② The joy of life will be full (John 15:11)
③ It means that the relationship with the Lord will be improved (John 15:15)
That's right. Christian freedom is impossible without sacrifice. If you want to live with the freedom of your body, you will lose your life, and if you sacrifice for the love that the Lord has commanded, you will gain eternal life. Look at Luke 17:33. “Whoever wants to preserve his life will lose it, and whoever loses it will live.”
The apostle Paul also speaks of freedom. 1 Corinthians 7:22, “Those who are called in the Lord are slaves, but they are free belonging to the Lord; and in the same way, those who are called while they are free are slaves of Christ.” 9:19, “I was free to all, but I made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more people.”
Physical freedom oppresses spiritual freedom.
True freedom is the freedom of the spirit.
Are you truly free? It is the true freedom of a Christian to obey God's will under any circumstance.