07
Choose Freedom & Righteousness
John TiltonGalatians 5:1-10 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.
Paul encourages the Galatians to choose freedom over bondage in slavery and that justification, righteousness and therefore freedom will come through faith instead of the law and circumcision. He continues that those who choose the law must carry out all of its requirements. However those who choose faith will live by the promise of Jesus Christ and His faithfulness and love. Paul notes that they were running a good and focused race. However, he questions who interfered to attempt to pull them off course? He states the fact that distraction away from faith and love is not of Christ, and therefore not to let the distractions of life and the enemy work its way into the path of righteousness and freedom like a little yeast and how it can affect a whole batch of dough.
We are in a similar situation today where the laws of Hawaii and our society are changing to distract us and even an attempt to take away our freedom and righteousness where distrust and division begins to sneak in as the community is divided over new laws. We can understand and adhere to laws that are passed, but need to stand on God’s biblical law and not compromise His law when societies laws contradict God’s laws. We need to stand and go forth with God’s laws, faith and love. We cannot get distracted, influenced or let the ways of the world through its laws seep into our moral and spiritual fabric. We need to run the race that God has set before us.
Dear Lord, guide me and enable me to run the race that you set before me and to choose faith, love, freedom and righteousness in you over man’s law. Guide me please to navigate man’s law but stand on your law.
