10/27/02 -- T22 INI Gal. 5:13-14

In the Name of our Lord Jesus, Who has set us free,

Just before Christmas we love to sing: "Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes. The Savior promised long; . . . He comes the prisoner to release, in Satan's bondage held. The gates of brass before Him burst, the iron fetters yield."

When a criminal is released from his prison cell, is he given his freedom so that he may return to a life of lawlessness once again? Of course not. Then what about us? Through faith in Christ, all of our sins are pardoned by our God. We are set free from all the requirements and condemnation of all that is "Law." Does this mean then, that we may now do as we please, since the law can no longer condemn us before God? Not at all!

You are liberated, not licensed! How blessed are those who "know the truth" that makes us free through faith. In our Savior. We stand absolutely free and above all Law -- Our conscience can no longer condemn us before the Holy God on the basis of any Law of God or man, because of Jesus. But now the apostle warns, "only do not use liberty as an occasion for the flesh."

It's the work of the devil to twist the "doctrine of Christian liberty" into a license for the sins of the flesh. Jude explains in His N.T. letter that certain wicked men had crept into the outward church unnoticed, men who turned the grace of God into licentiousness. As long as the gospel of grace and forgiveness in Christ is preached, there will always be those who use liberty from sin as license to sin. As long as the Gospel's freedom is preached most people will interpret the message of free pardon for sinners as a license to do whatever they please.

In M. Luther's day the people had known only a religion of fear. But when Luther preached the glorious gospel of free grace and salvation by faith alone without works of law, many took such a proclamation of liberty for license to sin. Luther wrote about them:

"All boast themselves to be professors of the Gospel, and all brag of Christian liberty, and yet serving their own lusts they give themselves to covetousness, pleasures, pride, envy, and such other vices. No man does his duty faithfully, no man charitably serves the necessity of his brother. The grief of this makes me sometimes so impatient, that many times I wish such swine which tread precious pearls under their feet, were yet sill remaining under the tyranny of the Pope; for it is impossible that this people of Gomorrah should be governed by the Gospel of peace." (Galatians commentary, p. 482)

Perhaps the situation is worse in our day because we dwell in an already free, democratic society which encourages our flesh to do as it pleases! Fleshly freedom has become a dominating principle when mothers and fathers abort, abuse and abandon their children for their own pursuits; when people feel "free" to over-indulge in any drink, drug, or pleasure, without regard for others; when to be a "free-spirit" may often mean that one will stop at nothing to do or get what he wants to satisfy the lusts of his flesh.

Now when the gospel of free grace in Jesus Christ comes along, our own flesh finds it in perfect harmony with the tune of our times. If Christ has done all for may salvation, then why do I need to focus my attention on others and do good for them first? Why should I give anything to the poor? There is no law that says I have to! If I am freed by grace through Christ, then I may do as I please!

But no, dear Christian, let it not be so with you! For

though you are liberated, yet you are enslaved by love to serve . . . Do not use your liberty as an excuse for the flesh to sin all the more, "but through love serve one another." Paul says. Paul does not want the Galatians or any Christian to think that the freedom to which we have been "called" by faith in Christ is a freedom for the flesh. Our consciences have been freed from the burden of the law, sin, and death, so that these have no power over us in Christ. But, at the same time our flesh is to be held and bound in service to our neighbor in love!

Remember our Savior's words, repeated here by His apostle: "All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" (v. 14) In the place of law which is imposed upon a person from outside, and kills the sinner, we have received that FAITH which "works by love" as Paul says in v. 6 of this same chapter. The undeserved love of God for sinners has been "poured into our hearts" by the Spirit of God, given to us through faith. (Rom. 5:5) Now "we love HIM because He first loved us," John says in his first letter. That means that when our works are truly good in God's eyes, they do not come from a desire to be praised by men, or to gain the acceptance of God, or from a sense of fear, or from any compulsion of the Law. Instead, if our works are truly good before God, they spring up freely and spontaneously from an inner faith-life which is designed and moved by the Holy Spirit to love the Lord our God and so to know and do His will from the heart.

This love, born and nourished by the Good News of forgiveness and life in Christ, is the motivation of the liberated Christian. But this love is more than a kind wish or a fondness for someone in need. This love is a servant, even as our God Who "is love" (I John 4:8) took on the "form of a servant" (Phil. 2:7) when He came to save us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. He placed Himself and all that He had into our service. He had no thought of Himself all the way to the cross!

"But," you say, "don't we have to love ourselves first, before we can love others? Isn't that what Paul indicates when he says, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" in Ephesians 5? Dear Friends in Christ, do not be deceived by this devilish reasoning so prevalent in our day. The command to love one's neighbor "as" oneself recognizes that fact that people naturally look out for themselves and love themselves above all others. Now, the will of God is that we do and care for others as we would have others do and care for us. God knows that the Christian who is in touch with reality will understand these words.

But the world perverts this passage. In a poor society which has denied the existence of God and His love in Christ, people feel unloved. All kinds of movements to encourage love for self have arisen to fill the void. One such organization teaches school-age children to look into a mirror first thing in the morning and last thing at night, saying, "I love you! I really love you!"

This is not the way of our Lord Jesus. Love is to be a servant of others, not of self. To comfort the sorrowful, to instruct those who are straying, to help our neighbor, to bear his weaknesses, to endure our own troubles without taking it out on those around us, to obey our parents and the authorities, to be a good husband or wife, to do for others rather than self -- not because of any law, but only because God has SO LOVED US IN CHRIST -- this is what it means to be liberated in Christ, yet enslaved to serve in love! And this is a happy enslavement that is continually drawing its joy and strength in serve from the glorious liberty won for us on the cross!

We have been called to liberty, brethren, so let us serve in love. What a short and simple description of the Christian life! O Lord, help us so that we may put to death the lusts of our own self-loving flesh, and bring glory to your name by loving others as we have been loved! Amen.