“For Freedom

Christ Has Set Us Free”

4th of July Weekend

Galatians 5:1, 13-26                                    Rev. Todd B. Freeman

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Dallas                                            July 6, 2003

Freedom!  What comes to mind when you hear that word? How would you define it? How would you explain “freedom” to another person, especially someone from a different country?

On this 4th of July weekend, as we celebrate the 227th anniversary of our freedom from the tyranny of the British Empire, it is only appropriate that we reflect upon the blessings of independence and liberty - blessings that we too often take for granted in this country. Since 9-11, in fact, we have had to sacrifice some of our freedom for the sake of national security. No longer is freedom the given it once was even in the America.

Yet we are a country driven by, almost obsessed with, the right to be free. As long as it’s legal, we are indeed guaranteed the right to choose almost as we please.
We can choose who to elect to government positions;
we can choose which profession to go into;
we can choose where we want to live, and what we want to buy;
we can choose our spouse or partner in life;
we can even choose not only what church to belong to,
but what religion we want to believe in, if any at all.

And there are other kinds of freedom for which we must continually struggle, like the absence of social, economic or political oppression. Such freedom is the liberation from economic exploitation, racism, sexism, and other forms of injustice.

Another kind of freedom is in a psychological sense. It’s the removal of damaging emotional barriers, the healing of past hurts, the achievement of true intimacy, and the end of certain destructive patterns of behavior in which an individual or organization may be caught.

Freedom is a big deal for us.  It allows us to be independent, gives us the right to make our own choices, and work for the end of forms of oppression, whether they be physical or psychological or spiritual.

So it is also appropriate on this particular weekend that today’s Epistle lesson from Galatians begins with the words, "For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." When the Apostle Paul wrote these words about freedom, however, do you suppose he had the same meaning in mind that we do as people living in the United States of America in the 21st century?

The dictionary associates freedom primarily with autonomy, independence, and power to make our own choices and decisions without coercion. For many people, this takes on the license to "do as I please." Remember, for instance, when it became the law to wear a seat belt, and how upset so many people were because they didn’t want to be told what to do. For a lot of folks it took getting a ticket or two for not wearing a seat belt before they reluctantly finally agreed to do so.

But such a concept of ‘doing as one pleases’ would not be included in Paul’s understanding of freedom, at least not in Christian freedom. For Christian freedom is just that: freedom in Christ, not freedom in and of itself.

It is Paul’s belief that since it is Christ who has set us free, we are obligated to Christ. And that, we will learn, means being bound to Christ’s service in the world.

In verse 13 Paul writes, "you were called to freedom." The freedom he envisions here is freedom from the ancient laws of Moses and how they do not pertain to earning salvation. Being sinless and following the letter of the law does not bring about salvation, but only by God’s grace. Of equal importance is Paul’s insistence on the One who does the calling - Christ. Paul urges the Galatians to remember their calling, a calling that carries with it both freedom and obligation with responsibility.

Freedom may be attractive because we initially think it will demand less of us. Within time, though, we discover that the freedom to make our own choices actually makes greater demands on us. I’m sure you have recognized this in your own life.

Paul reveals more about his understanding of freedom when he warns, "do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence," and here comes the paradox, "but through love become slaves to one another." Paul’s imagery of slavery here startles us, and perhaps even offends, for it seems incompatible with our notions of freedom, and is seemingly contradictory to what he has just said. Paul, however, understands that all human beings are free in some sense and enslaved in another sense.

The question is from what or whom we are free and to what or whom we are enslaved. To the church in Galatia, he urges freedom from the law, but that same freedom carries with it enslavement (using Paul’s words) to not only Christ as liberator, but also to others who belong to Christ. In other words, in our freedom we are called to a life of loving service to each other.

The major challenge to us this morning, then, is how can we lovingly serve each other better right here in this congregation, and in our daily lives?

Paul writes in verse 14, "For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." That commandment, by the way, didn’t originate with Jesus, but comes from the Old Testament book of Leviticus – how’s that for irony. There is irony in Paul’s understanding of freedom, as well. Freedom is not the opportunity to pursue our own interests in a selfish manner, especially in church matters, but rather to be even more at the service of others.

As an example, we, as a congregation, were exercising our Christian freedom just a few weeks ago by participating in our annual People Helping People house repair service project. We went to a home near Inwood and Lover’s Lane to help repair and paint the home of a 76 year old widow. Being of service, especially to someone in need, became a meaningful experience for all of us.

Again, freedom in Christ is not so much freedom from something, as it is freedom to do something. Freedom in Christ is not freedom from responsibility or concern for others. Freedom in Christ is about the freedom to love, to live by the law of love, or as Paul says, to become slaves to one another out of love for God.

When we don’t live this way, Paul warns, we face the consequences of destroying our sense of community, perhaps even ourselves, in the process.

When we do live by the Spirit of God, however, there will be wonderful consequences. Paul lists, "love, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Paul calls these gifts from God the "fruit of the Spirit."

Paul’s emphasis is always on the community-building character of the Spirit’s work. So, he warns the church to give up arrogant, envious, and competitive behavior. His vision of the church is that we should embody the love of Christ in ways characterized by the “fruit of the Spirit.

The question for us, then, is do we, as a congregation, exhibit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? And if so, how? As Paul writes in verse 25, "If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit."

So as we continue to celebrate this 4th of July weekend and the freedoms this country has to offer, let us also celebrate our freedom in Christ, which is a call to loving and unselfish service to others.

Amen.