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The Ultimate Freedom Galatians 5:1, 13 1 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. 13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. Once again, it’s that time of year when we Americans celebrate our freedom and our rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” We see freedom as an individual right for all of us who are citizens of the United States. This freedom is a right guaranteed to all of us who are either born into citizenship or become naturalized citizens. We have had this for so long that we can become complacent, taking these privileges for granted. Don’t take your earthly citizenship for granted. Thank God for the privileges and freedom you enjoy. The Fourth of July is so much more than an opportunity for a long weekend, beer drinking, partying, and fireworks. Take the time to add worship to your celebration. We live at a time in our nation when changes, both welcome and unwelcome, are happening. Many of us are either out of work or working jobs to get by that we don’t particularly enjoy. Some of us are living at a poorer lifestyle than we had hoped for. Fear of a bad economic situation haunts us and gives us reason to feel more doubtful about the future of our nation. If ever we needed to ask God’s help, the time is now. Pray for our leaders, work like the good of our nation and our communities depends on you, and trust God above all else. But the verses from the Book of Galatians above are not talking about our earthly citizenship. They are about the citizenship we have received from the Lord to be part of His Kingdom of heaven. This citizenship is not ours by natural birth or by a ceremony. It is a gift by grace, with no merit on our part. We do not earn this citizenship or deserve it. There are no rights that come with this freedom. Instead, we receive the privileges of God’s gracious forgiveness of our sins, the privileges of His Word and the gifts of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Do you want to live free from guilt, regret, or shame because of your past or even present unwise decisions? Then come and receive the forgiveness Jesus Christ has won for you at the cross. Jesus has freed us to live at the highest level of freedom and love. If you and I allow ourselves to be dragged down again into a lifestyle that disobeys God’s commandments, then we again are slaves to sin. If we allow our faith to become only a matter of obeying rules, then we lose sight of the freedom of the cross. If we live only to please our selfish desires or lusts, we lose the privilege of love from God and our earthly relationships and connections soon suffer or are broken altogether. This is what it means to “be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Only in Jesus Christ can we receive the ultimate freedom that lifts us up to living at the level of God’s love. Celebrate this freedom above all else.
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