Free to Run

July 14, 2009 by admin.

Christians lie. Christians manipulate. Christians get it wrong. A lot.
Churches oppress. Churches belittle. Churches tarnish. A lot.

If you’re hoping that there will be a cute twist at the end of this note where I explain or excuse those statements away, I’m giving you fair warning that it’s not going to happen.

What does it mean when Paul says in Galatians that “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”?
In the verses before, he explains that Hagar is a type of the Old Covenant established on Mount Sinai - something that bears forth slaves. Sarah is a type of the New Covenant established in the Jerusalem above - something that bears forth children of promise, born by the power of the Spirit. Hagar represents the result of human effort. Sarah represents the result of God’s effort.

Are you a slave?

One of the clearest and most articulate messages in the Scriptures is that from the time we are born until God does a work in our hearts, we are spiritual slaves to sin. Forced to serve. The nation of Israel is an historical representation of this fact: gestated and developed in Egypt, a slave nation from its inception.

Are you free?

If our spiritual slavery is one of the clearest messages, perhaps the clearest message is that through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection we can be reconciled to God - set free from the opression of sin, free to live in the reality and relationship that God intended for us since before the dawn of creation. The way things were meant to be can now be, because of grace.

Satan misses you

While most of us are all too familiar with the continual struggle against remaining sin in us and the world, there is another tactic that Satan uses on the redeemed. This tactic is meant to cripple us. Make us ineffective. Blind us. Bind us.

The tactic is to get us talking about Christian things, singing Christian songs, doing Christian acts, all the while taking our focus off of Christ and focusing on ourselves and how we compare with each other. We start competing with each other for prizes like ‘Most Humble” or “Who can obey the most commandments.” Unfortunately, in our attempt to win these prizes, we like to disqualify others by pointing out their wrongs. It gets kind of ugly.

Maybe you’ve been that person. Maybe you’ve been hurt by that person. Maybe you’re someone who was interested in Christianity until you walked into a church. Maybe you’re a regular church goer who is sitting there wondering what the point of it all is.

0% Down. Terms and conditions apply*

*While it is true that God has saved you through no effort of your own, what you will soon come to realize as you mature in your Christian walk (read this as “learn more doctrine”) is that someone who is a real Christian will: wear a tie in the church building, read their Bible everyday, conduct proper family worship, attend Sunday School, attend church (morning and evening service), only talk about Christian things on Sunday, quote Bible verses in their prayers, try to speak in tongues, do the rosary, witness to everyone they see, burn copies of The Shack, burn copies of Harry Potter, protest abortion, protest gay marriage, sneer about everything President Obama does, and only watch Fox News.

STOP. It is for freedom that Christ has set you free.

You are no longer under the law. It no longer has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. LOVE.

Free to run

If anyone tries to mandate any duty or rule on you that must be met in order for you to be accepted (by God or them) as a child of God worthy of fellowship, run. RUN as far as you can.
The Pharasees tried to make more rules. Jesus rebuked them with the strongest words of his day. New believers (along with Peter) tried to add Jewish customs to justification (including circumcision). Paul yelled at Peter in front of everyone, and also used some pretty strong language of his own.

Do not let anyone (or yourself) place a yoke of slavery on you again when it comes to the Christian walk - no matter how spiritual they make it. No matter how many verses they use. No matter how many theological terms they make up to make it sound better. Run.

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

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