The Cost of Freedom – July 7, 2024
Isaiah 44:1-8, Galatians 5:1, 13-23
July 7, 2024
The cost of freedom. That’s what we think about this time of year. A few weeks ago we celebrated Memorial Day. That’s the day we think about what it has cost to defend our freedom over the years. That’s the day we remember and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in that defense. Now, it’s a few weeks later, and we’ve been thinking this week about what it cost those who declared our freedom in the first place.
Think about it. In one of the most profound acts of treason in history, they wrote these words at the very end of The Declaration of Independence. “And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” And had that revolution not been successful, they would have lost all three of those things – their honor, their fortunes, and almost certainly, their lives!
In thinking of them today, in thinking of the freedom won and defended for two and a half centuries, I’m asking that we also think about the freedom we have in Christ. Paul wrote about that here in his letter to the church in Galatia. And Galatia was another one of the cities in Asia Minor, where Paul founded churches. And remember that Asia Minor is now our modern day Turkey.
To that church – and to us – Paul wrote, “For freedom, Christ has set us free! So do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” And what is that yoke of slavery? And what has set us free from it? He clarifies that in Romans 8:2. “For the law of the spirit of the life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2) We’re forgiven. We’ve been redeemed. Our sins are not held against us anymore. We’ve been set free from the law of sin and death. And Paul tells us that is true freedom!
As you think about that, and the words he used, remember, as I said last week, Paul was a Pharisee. He was a keeper of that Law. And that didn’t mean just attending to the understanding of the Law, or the preservation of the Law. It meant actually keeping the Law, in the sense of not breaking it – often in its most minute details! It’s said the Pharisees went to such great lengths to avoid breaking the law, that some were even known to walk into things, That’s because they were keeping their eyes closed, to avoid looking at other women! (Jesus was probably playing on that idea when he accused them of being “blind guides.” Maybe you remember that.)
So, that Pharisee named Saul – now named Paul – is talking about the freedom we have from that Law. That’s pretty amazing! And I’m sure that being “released” from that life was very liberating to him. It had to be very profound to him personally! And now he was trying to relate that to this congregation – and to us.
But it wasn’t only about liberty and “release.” Paul also asks them, and us, to think about the cost of that freedom. And he asks us to think about that in terms of what that freedom calls us to do. “Because we are free,” he says, “we do certain things.” And we don’t do other things. And I know that sounds like the Law. It sounds like “thou shalt not!” But it’s the Law with a different orientation. We do and don’t do things because Christ has set us free, not to obtain that freedom.
He sums it all up in “one word.” And I love this! “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And I know, that sounds like more than just one word. But it’s “word” in the sense that we sometimes use it. We might say about a certain subject, “Here’s the word on that.” or “Here’s the final word on that,” And of course that means more than just one word. And this is like that. And notice that he’s echoing the words of Jesus here, that loving God, and loving neighbor as one’s self, is “All of the law and the Prophets.”
Then, in a very practical way Paul makes this comparison. He sets what he calls “the works of the flesh” against what he calls “the fruit of the Spirit.” That’s in the same thought as our “freedom in Christ.”
“The works of the flesh” are in this fairly long list, which you can read again on your own. “Fornication, impurity, licentiousness, etc…” But as you read it, consider that this is not meant to be a comprehensive list. These are not all of the works of the flesh! So don’t look at the list and say, “Oh good, my thing isn’t on there!” He’s saying, “the works of the flesh are these kinds of things.”
“But,” he says in contrast – and I will read this list! – “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, against such there is no law.” And I would clarify that last phrase, saying, “and such things against which there is no law.” Again, I don’t think this is meant to be a comprehensive list, either. It’s more that “the fruits of the spirit are these kinds of things.”
“And the important thing,” he goes on to say, “is what we’re concentrating on, or what we’ve set our hearts on.” The “fruits” of the Spirit are things that are “produced” when we have the Spirit within us, and when we live in the Spirit. And that is what our freedom in Christ calls us to do. That’s the cost of our freedom. We are to live in the spirit. We are to set our minds on the things of the spirit.
Then think about this. If our Founding Fathers, didn’t set their minds on, and keep their minds focused on, the things a free nation should do, they could easily have drifted back into the tyranny they were so adamantly fighting against. And that was a real fear to them! So, in setting up our Constitution, keeping people free was at the center of their thoughts. That’s what kept them on the right path!
As they were designing the new government, there were those who called for a strong central government, and those who called for the rights of the states. Again, they were fearful of creating a centralized government against which they had fought their revolution. And it was the balance between those two things was the brilliance of the document they established. They kept their minds set on freedom.
So, to set our minds on the Spirit is the key to having the fruit of the Spirit. But as I am quick to point out – as was pointed out to me long ago – that’s something that one must be ever vigilant about – just like we must be vigilant in maintaining our freedom as a nation.
So we must be vigilant, we must be ever watchful about our lives lived in the Spirit. Because, as you know, we are inundated by many other influences in our lives. The siren song of the world is constantly calling to us. “Follow me!” “Think this way!” “Buy this product!” And you know, those calls on our lives can sound pretty convincing! They can appear to be very reasonable! And in some cases, they are. Some influences in our lives are good. But, as you know, others are not. And we must be vigilant in making good spiritual decisions.
And the last thing is, if we don’t set our minds on things of the spirit, all those other voices, all those other calls on our lives, will drown out the voice of the Spirit. And if we think we can set our minds on the things of the Spirit only one day a week, or one morning a week, or without the fellowship in the body of Christ, it’ll be the same result. The Spirit will be drowned out by all those other things.
So think about your freedom this week. And think about your freedom in Christ. And think about what that freedom calls you to do and to be.
Prayer
Eternal God, we do thank you for the freedom you have given us in Christ Jesus. Help that freedom to be at the forefront of our minds. Help us to seek the fruit of the Sprit in our lives. And help us to take seriously the call to be your people. For we pray in our Savior’s name, Amen