Freedom in Christ

Galatians 6:1-16

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

For the past six weeks we have been walking with Paul as he shares his concerns with the people of Galatia. His concerns for the miss-direction they have taken in their journey of faith and their willingness to so easily drop the truth that Paul had shared with them when he first visited. Once again he shares his story with them on how he was on the wrong path and does not start following Jesus until Jesus actually appears to him.

If you recall, the main struggle that Paul is confronting is the fact that the Galatians have started following a different teaching that put an emphasis on the works of the law. the law does have a purpose as it leads and guides us in our lives, however, it is in our faith that we turn to God. Grace comes to us as a free gift. There is nothing required of us and nothing that we must do to receive that grace. Thus Paul’s argument arises against those that believe to be a follower of Christ you must also be circumcised; of course, this goes back to Judaic law. Remember, the Galatians are Gentiles, and would not have followed through on this Jewish practice shortly after they were born.

Paul’s hope is to turn them away from the works of the flesh, which steers people in the wrong direction, and he reminds them of the fruits of the Spirit which should pervade their life. It is in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that they will grow closer to Christ and learn to experience the Christ that is within them. It is in the fruit of the Spirit that we should all be striving. If the Galatians were to follow in these instructions that Paul has set-forth, then they too will truly experience what it means to live into a new creation.

Many of the people that first immigrated to the America’s were looking for something different, escaping from tyranny, and hoping for a new beginning. Isn’t that what we are looking for in a new creation? They sought a freedom that they were not experiencing in their home countries and had the vision to establish that in a new country. Independence Day is our opportunity as Americans to celebrate the freedoms that we have in this country and to recognize those freedoms that we are still working towards. While we are Americans, we also must remember that we are Christians as well and everything that we do should be coming from our lives as Christians. We have already experienced a new creation in Christ through our baptism and it is this that comes first. God does not care what country we are from.

The freedom that we have as Christians exists in our faith and the grace that we receive from God. Remember, nothing is required of us for this to be true. As we conclude our series on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians this morning, we are reminded that we live in the same freedom that he shares with them. The trouble that ensued in Galatia is more times than not the same issue we have in our world today. Those in authority attempting to use their position to control others. This is what happens in Galatia as the teachers that came in after Paul tried to convince them of something other than the true gospel of Jesus Christ that Paul preached.

The freedom that we seek is not always at hand and sometimes we live in opposition to the majority as we follow our Christian faith. For many of us this may be a foreign concept. We did not grow up in struggle and have therefore forgot what it means to be longing for the freedom that comes to us in this country. The same freedom that slaves in America desired. The same freedom that our ancestors longed for when they first immigrated to this land. The same freedom that our ancestors in the bible longed for when they met opposition and struggled against those that persecuted. The same freedom that many people around the world still long for today.

A new creation is everything! It is in Jesus’ death and resurrection that we experience a new creation and it is in this new creation that the grace of God is revealed to all of God’s children. In this new creation the fruit of the Spirit flows for all to absorb and to learn from. By living in the Spirit, we experience the Christ that is within us and should be compelled to share that with our sisters and brothers.

I encouraged you six weeks ago to read all of Galatians to get a deeper sense of Paul’s passion for the people of Galatia. While chapter 6 concludes Paul’s letter and summarizes his preaching, it is not the end. Instead it should be the beginning of conversation for the people of Galatia and us as well. What does it mean to live into our faith and the true gospel of Jesus Christ? I encourage you again to go back and read it and listen to where you hear God calling and speaking into your life.

As you celebrate with friends and family this weekend, give thanks for the freedoms you have in this country. More importantly, remember the freedom that we have in Jesus Christ and celebrate the new creation that he promises and gives. Now as Paul concludes, “may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.” (6:18)