You Have a Choice!

June 30, 2019

Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Growing up I would say that I had the greatest freedom I could imagine. Probably the only thing that could have made it better was if my parents had been millionaires. Still, I would usually receive what I asked for within reason. Of course, it helped that I am a white male that lived in a predominantly white town. 

My parents gave me the freedom to make many of my own decisions and befriend whomever I wanted. I had the freedom to choose to attend Central Michigan University and the freedom to discern and decide to go to seminary and become a pastor.

Some of these freedoms may come to us because of where we live. As we approach Independence Day, it is important to be reminded of the roots of our country and the many struggles that we have been through and will continue to go through. We give thanks for the freedom that has come to us through the sacrifice of many generations, however, we must remember that the ultimate freedom we encounter is not our American concept of individuality, autonomy, and self-determination.

As Christians, in Jesus Christ we have been given the gift of freedom. What we choose to do with that freedom is reflective of our life in Christ. You have a choice!

If you read in entirety, Paul’s letter to the Galatians, it will not take too long to figure out that Paul is not too happy with the community that has started following Jesus in the city of Galatia. They have been arguing amongst themselves. They have been bickering about the proper practices that they should be carrying out as followers of Christ. They have probably used not so kind words for one another as they have failed to live fully into a new community. One of their biggest arguments has erupted over the necessity of circumcision.

It was disagreements like this that threatened to tear apart the early church. Paul’s letter was a response to all that was happening. It came to a point where he even wrote, “If however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another” (vs. 15). Perhaps Paul needs to write a letter to our modern times, or we could simply use the Letter to the Galatians.

The arguments and disagreements that Paul writes to are not any different than those that we have today. We turn on the news and we view what this one group did to another group just because they did not agree or simply did not like them. We witness it to an extreme in the violence that we encounter in our culture. We witness it on Capitol Hill in our elected leaders and their failure to work together for the common good of the people. We see arguments over whether we should care for our neighbors.

One of the biggest places to see this occur is on social media where people seem to think that they have more freedom to say anything they would like since they are not in front of those that they are criticizing. The thing that has amazed me is that there is an ELCA Clergy group on Facebook and it seems that even pastors feel they can let all their nasty out on one another through social media.

All of this is part of the nastiness of the flesh that Paul writes about in our lesson from Galatians. The flesh that he is referring to is our self-oriented selves that disregard others and turn inward to our own personal desires. Now, desires are not a bad thing. It is a matter of what light that desire manifests itself. The flesh that Paul writes of pulls us away from our life in Christ. Once we are pulled away, it can be easy to stay in that and thus we must be intentional in repenting and turning back towards God.

So, the freedom that is given to us in Christ can be seen as a two-edged sword. We have the choice to follow the desires of the flesh or to follow the leading of the Spirit. We are given the freedom through the grace of God to follow or not follow Jesus. Wow, how very overwhelming that can be at times and we know that we have all fallen short of the glory of God and following completely in the way of Jesus.

In the freedom found in Jesus Christ we are showered abundantly with the fruit of the spirit to live out the lives he has called us to live. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things” (vs. 22-23).  When we live with this fruit, it does not mean that we will not have conflicts and that everything will be just the way we want it to be. When we live into this fruit, it means that we live into relationship with one another and approach each other with love and respect. Imagine what would be of this world if we kept the fruit of the Spirit near us and did our best to live out that fruit daily.

Psalm 16 concludes, “You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (vs. 11). The path has been laid down for us in the life of Jesus Christ and the freedom that he has given to us through his death on the cross. “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited competing against one another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:24-26).

As Paul comes near to the end of the letter, he re-emphasizes the importance of the love found in Christ. We are reminded that love is to be given away as Jesus gave away his love for all of humanity on the cross. It is a love that blankets us for all of eternity. It is the love that comes to us and the same love that we have within us to give away to others. To follow Jesus Christ means to live fully into the freedom he has given us by giving away the very love he has given us. A love that is meant to be shared with all.

Jesus has asked each of us to come and follow him. What is your choice?

Let us pray. Great and gracious God, you teach us to walk in the way of Jesus. We pray that we are not tempted to walk alone desiring the works of the flesh, but that we are open to the Spirit weaving through our lives and communities to guide us in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Amen.