Category Archives: Freedom

Bible, Freedom, Gifts, Grace, Holy Spirit, Scripture, Service

SERVE ONE ANOTHER

GALATIANS 5:13

“For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.”

Ministry is all about service. Sometimes that can be a problem, especially when someone takes advantage of it. Having served on several church staffs over my 45 years of ministry, I have encountered a few people who felt like the church staff were their personal errand boys and girls. It would be easy to get into the flesh and get angry and frustrated. It takes humility to serve someone like that.

Paul, once again, emphasizes the Galatians’ freedom in Christ in today’s verse. They were not enslaved any longer to sin, nor were they enslaved to the Mosaic law full of rituals and traditions. However, they were not free to do as they pleased. He says instead to “serve one another through love.” Why do you think he said that? Why would the Holy Spirit inspire Paul to tell them to use their freedom to serve?

APPLICATION

Peter says a similar thing in 1 Peter 4:10, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the multifaceted grace of God.” Ahhh! Now, Paul’s words make more sense. Now, hang on as I lay this out.

When we come to Christ, we are free from all those things I mentioned earlier, but we are also given the gifts of the Spirit. As we use these gifts in the body of Christ (as they are intended), as we serve one another, we think less of ourselves and more of others. When we do that, we are much less likely to use this freedom to indulge our flesh. Our minds are not on pleasing ourselves. It is on pleasing the Father by serving His body.

Paul gives another warning about this freedom the Galatians now had in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 8:9 he writes, “But take care that this freedom of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” If we are serving one another, the last thing we want to do is be a stumbling block. We want to build them up in Christ. Go be a servant today!

Lord, help me take my eyes off of me and look for ways to serve my brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Battles, Bible, Enemies, Enslavement, Freedom, Oppression, Rescue, Salvation, Scripture, Slaves

IT WAS FOR FREEDOM

GALATIANS 5:1

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

Why do people fight wars? Most of the time it is for freedom. One group is trying to force another group to live a certain way, to surrender to their army, to deny their beliefs in favor of another. It’s almost always one group trying to force their will on another. We will see in today’s verse that spelled out so clearly.

Paul is emphatically stating that freedom is ours. That is why Christ died – to set us free. But from what? Well, he states that in the second part of the verse. He says, “do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” Here he is referring, of course, to the slavery of the law. The law was forcing these young believers to follow the old Mosaic law, which Christ has set them free from. He was the final, perfect sacrifice for all mankind. They were free.

APPLICATION

All over the world today, Christians are facing the loss of their freedom – freedom to worship, freedom to share Jesus. Check out The Voice of the Martyrs website (www.persecution.com) to read some of the stories they share about these saints. We often think this sort of thing doesn’t happen in the 21st century. How wrong we are.

What else does God’s Word say about our freedom? Jesus explains it so well in the gospel of John. John 8:31-36 says, “31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ 33 They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, “You will become free”?’ 34 Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.’”

There is really nothing else to add to that. Jesus said it all. The Son sets you free. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Aren’t you glad? No longer slaves. We’ve been set free! Sin has no more power over us. The penalty of sin has been removed. Praise His holy name.

Lord, I give You praise for the freedom You have given me in and through Christ. 

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Bible, Different, Freedom, Law, Scripture

NOT LIKE THE OTHER

GALATIANS 4:25

“Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is enslaved with her children.”

When my children were small, they loved to watch Sesame Street. One of the little jingles they played along with a teaching moment was “One of these things is not like the other, One of these things is not the same…” I can still hear that tune in my head. It helped the kids recognize like images or pictures and to notice differences. A simple but needed skill.

Unlike Sesame Street, Paul is not pointing out differences in today’s verse. In fact, he is doing just the opposite. He is telling us Hagar represents Mount Sinai (the place the law was given to Moses by God) and that “corresponds to the present Jerusalem.” The Greek word for “corresponds” only occurs here and means to file in rank with, to march together. In other words, they were in lockstep, inseparable.

APPLICATION

In Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, he says this about the name “Hagar.” “…the Arabians according to Paul (who had formerly dwelt among them, Galatians 1:17) called the rocky Mount Sinai by a name similar in sound to הגר ( i.e. rock)…” Here’s a little math formula for you: Hagar = rock = Mount Sinai = Jerusalem = the Law = slavery. That is essentially what Paul is saying here and in Galatians 4:21-31.

We don’t want to be like that, do we? Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace.” I love what the author of Hebrews (whom I personally believe was either Paul or Barnabas) says in Hebrews 10:1. “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the form of those things itself, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year, make those who approach perfect.”

Praise be to God! We are not like Hagar or like Mount Sinai or like Jerusalem or like the Law. One of these things is not like the other – that’s us in Christ. We are no longer bound to the things of the law. We are no longer required to keep all those rules and offer meaningless sacrifices. We are free in Jesus.

Lord, thank You for making me different than others and declaring me free in Jesus. 

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Allegory, Bible, Chains, Devil, Encouragement, Freedom, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Law, Scripture, Slaves

ALLEGORY PART 1 – HAGAR

GALATIANS 4:24

“This is speaking allegorically, for these women are two covenants: one coming from Mount Sinai giving birth to children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar.”

I have to admit that I am not a grammatical genius. If you have read many of my blogs, you have probably already figured that out. Right? So, I looked up the definition of allegory. “It is a figurative sentence or discourse, in which the principal object is described by another subject resembling it in its properties and circumstances.” – Webster. Thank you, Mr. Webster! I am sure we all understand it now.

Paul tells us plainly that he is going to be speaking “allegorically.” This Greek word is only used one time in the New Testament. It literally means to speak publicly something other than. Paul is going to be comparing the story of Hagar and Sarah, Ishmael and Isaac to our slavery to sin and our freedom in Christ. This allegory is not to imply in any way that the Old Testament story is not true. You can use an historical truth allegorically to make a point, which is what Paul has done here.

APPLICATION

Now that I have bored you to tears with the English lesson on allegories, how do we use today’s verse in our lives? Well, let’s focus on the topic of this first part of the allegory – Hagar. Who was she? She was a servant girl of Sarah’s. But she was more than a servant. She had been given to Abraham by Sarah to try to conceive a child which would satisfy God’s promise to give then a child. God never instructed them to do this. They just decided to “help God along.”

This first part of the allegory isn’t very encouraging. Hagar and Ishmael represent slavery to sin. Even after Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, she was still a servant. Nothing had changed. You and I are slaves to sin until we come to Jesus. We have no power to resist. We have no way to escape the devil’s schemes. There is no hope. We can’t “perform” our way out of sin. We have to have the chains broken.

Praise be to God we have a “chain-breaker.” He is Jesus, the Righteous One. He is the One to whom we run for freedom. Paul is so aware of this. He now sees how bound to sin he was while he was under the law, which is also represented by Hagar. Paul wants these Galatians to be free in Christ, not bound to the law. In the same way, God wants us to be free in Jesus. Are you free today?

Lord, I am thankful You gifted men like Paul to write under the inspiration of the Spirit to give us these truths.

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Bible, Bondslaves, Freedom, Satan, Scripture, Slaves

A TALE OF TWO SONS

GALATIANS 4:22

“For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman.” 

This verse reminds me of the Charles Dickens’ classic, A Tale of Two Cities. It begins with this quote:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”

Do you see the analogies there? The opposites? Paul, in his own way is going to compare two opposites in the next several verses. One was Isaac, the son of Sarah, who was born free. The other was Ishmael, the son of Hagar, who was a slave of Abraham. Thus, Ishmael was born into slavery. This is the comparison we will see played out over the next several days.

APPLICATION

Now, hold it a minute, Carl. I am not a slave to anyone. Really? If you are not walking in the Spirit, you are slave to sin. Romans 6:16 says this, “Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”

Slavery isn’t just chains and cells. Slavery is bowing to the will of the flesh. Paul is going to compare freedom in Christ and slavery under the law. Believe me, he understood the slavery of the law because he had personally bound people with it as a Pharisee. He knew the hopelessness of it. And we can put ourselves under legalistic rules and regulations and lose our freedom in Christ.

But let me encourage you today to be “free indeed.” Free yourself from the lure of sin. Free yourself for self-inflicted laws. Let Christ lead you into true freedom in Him. Shake off the shackles that the evil one wants to tie you down with. He has no power over you. But through Jesus, you have power over him. Hallelujah!

O God, my Father, I am so thankful I have been born into freedom through Your Son.

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Abiding, Bible, Confidence, Doubts, Freedom, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Salvation, Scripture

PERPLEXING BEHAVIOR

GALATIANS 4:20

“but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone of voice, for I am at a loss about you!”

We have all seen new believers who get saved and on fire for Jesus only to revert back to their old behaviors as soon as they move away or start hanging with their old crowd. Compare it to a drug addict who gets all cleaned up in rehab, makes vows or promises and then goes right back to the drugs as soon as they are out of rehab. That kind of behavior can make you raise some doubts as to their sobriety in the first place.

Perhaps I need to remind you that when Paul wrote this letter to the Galatians, he was not with them. He had invested much in them and now, since he has been gone, their behavior is perplexing to him. He is confused as to why they would have deserted the teachings he had given them on the Christ life just because he was no longer there. The phrase “to change my tone of voice” means Paul had much rather speak about them with confidence than doubting.

APPLICATION

The Greek word used for “I am at a loss” is aporeo. It means to be perplexed or in doubt. It is used over in 2 Corinthians 4:8. “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;”Now, let me quickly say that I don’t think Paul was doubting their salvation. He had seen the Holy Spirit work in their lives. Unlike during the Old Testament days when the Holy Spirit would enter and leave someone, in Christ, once the Holy Spirit has come into our lives through salvation, it remains.

However, we can refuse to submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit and get into some awful pickles. In John 16:13-14 Jesus tells us why surrendering our will to the Spirit is so important. “13 ‘But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you.’”

Don’t you want to know what Jesus is trying to tell you? I sure do. Then we have to stop all this perplexing behavior and surrender to the Spirit. Before you make a decision or do anything, ask the Father in heaven. He will direct the Spirit to inform you. I believe that. Stop acting on your own whims. They usually fail us. He never will.

Father, I do not want to live a perplexing life. I want my life to be centered in Your will.

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Bible, Freedom, Law, Scripture

METICULOUS

GALATIANS 4:10

“You meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years.” 

Well, there’s a word you don’t use every day – meticulous. What exactly does it mean. In the English, it means “showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.” That sounds good. My wife can be a very meticulous housekeeper. She wants everything in its place. Honestly, most days I feel like I am living in a magazine cover. I love that about her – her attention to details to make sure our home looks beautiful.

But in Paul’s use of the Greek word translated as meticulous, it is not a very positive thing. In fact, the Greek word Paul uses here is only used five other times. And all those times it is used in a negative context. Four times it is used of the Pharisees watching closely to catch Jesus “abusing” the Sabbath. Once it is used of Paul’s enemies watching the gate to catch Paul. And then here in Galatians Paul says they are trying in vain to keep all these days, months, seasons and years.

APPLICATION

Are you being meticulous about the wrong things? It is a good thing to have your daily Quiet Time. But are you doing it out of habit? Just reading the Bible and praying can become such a routine that you stop getting anything from it. Jesus said this about the Pharisees in Matthew 23:5, “‘And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.’”

He also goes on in that same chapter to speak eight woes against the Pharisees. Take a few minutes and read Matthew 23:13-33. But here is just one of those woes which speaks to the meticulousness. Verses 23-24 read, “‘23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!’”

Don’t be a Pharisee! Don’t be so concerned about the details that you don’t see the fuller picture. God loves you and wants you to enjoy your life in Christ. His Word tells us commandments are not burdensome. Live holy but not legalistic. Celebrate who you are in Christ.

Thank You, Lord, for freeing me from the details and allowing me to be free in Jesus.   

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Bible, Children, Freedom, Guardian, Law, Obedience, Redemption, Scripture

GUARDIANS AND MANAGERS

GALATIANS 4:2

“but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.”

Have you ever seen the movie, Mary Poppins? It’s a story about a governess who is hired to care for and teach the children of a family. Julie Andrews plays the key role and does a magical job with the children. Her duties embodied the same duties discussed in today’s verse. However, back in Paul’s day there wasn’t as much magic used, lol.

Continuing the theme from yesterday, Paul explains how the minor child could not do as they pleased with their father’s estate. Normally a slave who was trustworthy would have been put in charge of the children for instruction. These same individuals may have often handled the family assets, thus controlling the disbursement of funds. This would probably have continued if the master of the home had passed until the minor child reached the age set by his father.

APPLICATION

The Law served as our guardian, dictating what we could and couldn’t do. There were strict rules to follow – what to eat, what to wear, etc. These can be found in the Old Testament books of Leviticus and Numbers, as well as other books. For the sake of time, we won’t read all of that. But let me encourage you to take the time, if you haven’t read these books, to dig into them. They are also part of God’s Word and should be read.

However, all those laws have been fulfilled through the atoning death of our Savior. He tells us in Matthew 5:17-18, “17 ‘Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished!’”

Romans 10:4 says, “For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” That’s the “age set by the father” to be released from the guardianship of the Law. When we accept Jesus, at whatever age that is, we are freed from the requirements of the Law. For me, that was at age 16. I am now an heir of the father’s estate and have full access to all He offers. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!

O Father, You are far too good to me. May I bring Your honor and praise each day.

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Bible, Freedom, Grace, Law, Scripture

FREE AT LAST

GALATIANS 3:25

“But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”

As I grew up in Southwest Georgia, I was under the direct care and supervision of Jack and Mack Willis. Yep, those were their names. Jack was a nickname for James and Mack was short for Maxine. As their son, I was expected to obey their rules. I didn’t always like their rules (why couldn’t I have cookies for breakfast?) and didn’t always follow them. I knew they meant good by all the rules, but because they were rules, they were meant to be broken, right? At least I thought so.

I love this short but powerful verse today. It simply says faith trumps law. When the early believers, who were used to following the rules of the Law, came to Christ, they were set free. No more restrictions on food. No more rules about what they could and couldn’t do on the Sabbath. They were free because Jesus had satisfied the Law. Paul had felt that himself and wanted everyone who struggled under the heavy weight of the Law to be set free.

APPLICATION

Let me ask you a question. What is it you feel compelled to do in your effort to please God? Name one thing. Did you know the only thing the Lord requires of you is repentance and acceptance of His free gift? Romans 6:23 says so. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Now, who doesn’t want a free gift?

Stop struggling to try to “do” for Jesus. Just “be.” Be like Him. Be holy as He is holy. Be free to live a life that honors Him. Just be. As a Baptist I can tell you that I tried for years to do things. I felt compelled to grab that celestial golden ring. It can’t be done. When I learned to rest in Him, I started living for Him. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.”

Now, do I do certain things as a believer? Yes, I have my daily Quiet Time. I read the Word. I pray. I give to the Body of Christ. But now I do those things out of love, not out of obligation. There is nothing I can do to gain my salvation. And now that I have it, there is nothing I can do to lose it. I am free at last. Are you?

Our freedom in Christ, O God, gives us the ability to live for You. Thank You.

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Bible, Captivity, Chains, Conviction, Deliverance, Devil, Escape, Freedom, Judgment, Prison, Rescue, Scripture

NO ESCAPE

GALATIANS 3:23

“But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the Law, being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed.”

Click! Click! That is the sound you hear as you enter the jail. I served as a Chaplain for our County Sheriff Department for a while. Part of my duties was to visit the officers in the jail. You see, my role was not chaplain to the prisoners. My role was to the officers. And even though they were innocent of any crime, they were locked behind those bars every day also. On the other hand, the inmates remained behind. They could not just walk out. They were condemned to serve their sentence.

Paul continues the idea of the Law being restrictive and confining in today’s verse. In fact, he uses two words that point to that. He says “were kept in custody.” That’s the Greek word phrouréō which means “to actively display whatever defensive and offensive means are necessary to guard.” (HELPS Word Studies). The other word Paul uses is sugkleió which means to enclose or shut in. Paul is saying the Law held us captive until Jesus could be revealed.

APPLICATION

Well Carl, I’m not held captive by anything. I am free as a bird. Are you really? If you are in Jesus, you are free (as we discussed over the past few days), but even then, we can put ourselves back up under Law by thinking we have to do certain things to earn “brownie points” for heaven. There is nothing you can do, outside of surrendering to Jesus, that will get you through those pearly gates.

Acts 16:26 is a great picture of our salvation in Christ. Paul and Silas are sitting in prison for preaching about Jesus and then this happens. “and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened.” That’s must be how it looks to God when we finally give our lives to Him. Bam! The chains fall off.

In stark contrast to our freedom in Christ, we see Satan, that ‘ole deceiver chained by God. Revelation 20:1-3 give us a great picture of that. “1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he took hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.” Praise be God, Who is the chain breaker and chain maker.

O Father, You have promised freedom for me and imprisonment for the devil. You are the all powerful Judge.

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