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Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Freedom in Faith {Galatians 3:1 - 4:31}


Tuesday, November 20, 2018

For those of us living in the United States, we live in the “Land of the Free.”  So often when we think of freedom, we think we are free to do what we want, whenever we want.  Personal independence – the ability to make our own decisions and choose our own path in life.

When I came to verses 4:21-31, Sarah and Hagar,  I studied it for a week and I had to write it out like this:

Sarah                                                            Hagar

Abraham Covenant                                      Mosaic Covenant
Grace                                                              Law
Spirituality                                                    Carnality
Miraculous Birth                                         Birth against God’s will
No Conditions                                              Conditions
No Strings Attached                                    Merited Favor

I have been known to take matters into my own hands, so I can relate to Abraham and Sarah getting frustrated with their promise of a child not happening in their timing.  Over and over, when I have taken matters into my own hands, a bigger mess seems to occur.  And how sad to fully realize what happens when we don’t fully trust God – we inherit nothing.  Nada.  Zilch.  Zero.  Just like Israel, when they tried to keep the law on their own, all they received was legalism.

Since Ishmael was not accepted as an heir, he was no better than his mother - a slave.  And when the Israelites, or us for that matter, take the law upon ourselves without trusting God for His gift of grace, we become slaves because we have no freedom to do the law from the heart, and because of our unbelief, we are locked into disobedience and excluded from the inheritance. 

I like the idea of freedom.  I believe the older I get the more people seem to judge me.  The color of my skin, my occupation, the car I drive, my political interests, the vacations I take, the food I eat, my ideals, my children and their choices, and my faith.  So yes, I like the idea of freedom.  I have also worked for nearly 28 years for the 2nd largest police department in our state and there is a lot of laws and rules to follow.

So how do we become a child of God?  Well, it’s easy - accepting Jesus Christ’s death on the cross as payment for our sin.  Except we are so used to paying for what we get.  I’m not a good gift giver, nor a good receiver of gifts.  I’m used to working for what I have and following the rules of how to obtain them.  Yet becoming a Christian seems so simple. However, there’s a trust factor you must come to terms with and it’s not so easy for some.    Becoming a Christian is supernatural. 

As we submit to Christ, sin loses its power and Christ’s power takes over.  As we choose to trust and follow Him, our sinful habits, thoughts and attitudes lose their control.  Guilt disappears, and peace of mind dominates.  Right habits become the norm.  Now that’s true freedom!

As we learn to live by faith in the Son of God, and don’t rely on what we can achieve on our own, we are no longer in the slave category – but in the category of freedom!  You may be asking, why aren’t the Ishmael-types free?  Because they lack the desire to rest in God’s promises.  It’s not that they desire to reject God.  They simply want Him on their own terms.  Abraham and Hagar wanted God’s blessing, but not on HIS terms.

The old childhood song we all sang, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so, little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong” isn’t easy for Ishmael-types.  They rely on human resources.  They don’t like to admit that they are children in need of a father, or like a patient in need of a doctor.

Ishmael-types do not have saving faith.  They don’t have the freedom of desire for saving faith.  They also lack the freedom of eternal life, because no one who prefers to live in his own strength rather than trusting God will be saved and go to heaven.  And worst of all, the hardness of heart that spurns childlike dependence on God will also darken their understanding.  We all know that the most common use of our mind is to justify our desires.  Therefore, deeply wrong desires will deeply mislead the mind until it is not able to understand what is right.  So Ishmael-types are not free because they lack the freedom of desire to rest in God’s sovereign grace; and therefore, they lack the freedom of ability to understand God’s will; and finally, they lack the freedom of eternal joy, because the life they have chosen leads to destruction. 

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So as a person with trust issues, I turned to Scripture to see who Jesus was a friend of and we all know, Jesus was a friend of sinners.  The woman thrown into the center of a huge crowd, forever marked as a woman of adultery.  What about the Man right next to her?   Her accusers questioned Him about her punishment.

What about the woman at the well?  The woman was a Samaritan, hated and rejected as an outcast of the worst type, especially by those “following God”.  Jesus decided to stop and rest at the well and struck up a conversation with this sinner and outcast.  She even admits to her adulterous life.  By the end of their conversation Jesus declared Himself the Messiah and she gratefully accepted that revelation.  Jesus wasn’t finished with His work, so he headed into town with her and hung out with the villagers for two additional days (John 41:1-42).

Jesus hung out with tax collectors (Matthew and Zacchaeus), which upset many of the religious leaders of the time. 

What about the story of the “Good Samaritan”?  Isn’t it in our own nature to avoid situations and people that make us uncomfortable?  This story shows us that our neighbor is anyone, even someone with different religious and moral beliefs, an outcast, a rebel, or even our enemy.  Jesus demonstrates how we should always show compassion and mercy toward others.

I apologize for this long post, but I had to ask myself as I studied Sarah and Hagar, which one do I follow?  Am I walking this time on earth trusting in God’s promise and truly following Jesus, who is a friend of sinners?  Or do I follow Hagar’s tendency to walk according to my own plans and follow the laws of this world?  Or as the iworship says, am I placing myself in “bondage to works and religious rituals?”  Or as I heard on the radio last week, am I forcing myself to adhere to a set of rules set forth by some who believe there's a standard for a Christian life?  Are there a certain number of bible studies I must do?  Are there a certain number of people I must meet with weekly?  Do I need to pray for a certain number of hour or on specific days?  

"Consequently, it is clear that no one can ever be right with God by trying to keep the law.  For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."  (3:11)

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