Sunday, July 3, 2011

crazy love grace freedom...

With the 4th of July and all, I’ve got freedom on the brain. Galatians 5 tells us that it is for freedom that we have been set free. That the law no longer applies to us, because of the shed blood of Christ Jesus. That to continue to subject ourselves to the law would be ridiculous, as that would completely negate the significance of the sacrifice of Christ.

What kind of freedom is that? At first it sounds crazy…lawless, boundless freedom.
Seems like it would lead to total anarchy, yes? But it doesn’t. Why? Because THIS freedom is faith, expressing itself through love (Galatians 5:6).

Faith, believing in what we don’t see…expressed through love, unconditional and everlasting.

Unlike the freedom that the world offers, the freedom that Christ offers in not under any condition of worthiness or for that matter any condition at all. As people, we judge each other for our actions, imperfect as they may be, because in order to have peace we need some kind of laws that govern society. But not so with Christ. His freedom is governed by love.

He knows that if we choose to have faith in Him and trust Him as our Savior that the love from this sacrifice is ultimately all we need to follow in obedience. It doesn’t mean that we will never falter. We will falter, that is for sure. But it does mean that we will seek to follow his commands, and that is what keeps this freedom safe.

Boundaries exist for good reasons on a sinful earth, but as Christians we are not of this world. We are children of God, daughters and sons of the King of Kings. We are called to a higher level of freedom. One that does not need rules set in place, because faith is enough to keep us in the grace. Because He has called us to love others as we love ourselves, to ultimately respect ourselves and others.

The law was done away with. And his sacrifice has remained ultimate. The ultimate sacrifice of freedom for a sinful people, ultimately redeemed by crazy loving grace, bound through faith of children with a Father. A love that exists nowhere else in the universe, a love that binds forever, and seeks freedom as the ultimate sacrificial bargaining chip to allow us to remain in Him.

4 comments:

  1. Hmmmm given me something to think on!!!

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  2. You know, I woke up this morning with this scripture on my mind - it is for freedom Christ has set us free. I think back to a time in my youth when at a youth retreat we talked about what this meant. It meant we are free to be who God made us to be in Christ. To have the freedom of heart and mind and spirit. Not to be bound by all the legalism and oppression of religion but the freedom of relationship with Christ. Freedom to live with the fruits of the spirit flowing in abundance in our lives. Free from the chains of sin and death. Today that means so much more to me than I could have ever imagined back then in my youth. Thank you Jesus for setting us FREE!

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  3. Wow what a awesome post. This has been a interesting road to travel so filled with ups, downs in's and sometimes out's. Feelings that change so quickly, you cannot believe that they are real but still God is there and he is so constant. I was thinking about how in the beginning, I could hear the freedom bells ringing so loud and the further in, it feels as if the bells are far, far in the distance. Thank you for reminding me of my the price that has already been paid for my freedom and I celebrate God who has unlocked the very prison doors of my mind and soul that I might walk out in freedom. I think sometimes it is like the story I heard about the bear who was in a cage. The cage was only so big but the bear was in there for a long time. Even when he was released from the cage he would only stay within the confinement of the size of the cage he was use to. Could that be the case for some of us that we have been released but yet we stay in the confinements of what we are use to because it is familiar to us. Oh Stephanie pray for me that I might walk beyond the confinements of my past. I love you.

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  4. This: "Unlike the freedom that the world offers, the freedom that Christ offers in not under any condition of worthiness or for that matter any condition at all." This is what I need to write on my heart today!

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