Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
We all long for freedom, and some of us will go to great lengths to pursue a life of freedom. But the question that I want to answer today is: what does true freedom look like? What does it mean to be truly set free?
Give Up Lower Freedoms for Higher Freedom
I think at the end of the day, if we want to live a life of freedom, we have to understand that we have to give up our rights and give up certain freedoms to gain a higher freedom. Let me explain. I have a couple of hobbies, and two of my favorite hobbies are fishing and basketball. I'm also married, and if I want to have a good marriage, here's what this means: I have to give up lower freedoms like fishing, basketball, hanging out with friends. Those are all good things, but I have to give those things up sometimes so that I can have a higher freedom, which is a relationship with my wife—a good, vibrant relationship with my wife.
Let's take that in the context of the Christian life. What does true freedom look like for the Christian? Well, the highest freedom that we have is actually having a vibrant relationship with the Lord. That's the most freeing thing that you and I can have. Having a good relationship with Christ means I have to give up certain freedoms. Sometimes that means I have to give up sleep so that I can read and pray. Sometimes it means that I can't hang out with certain people because it affects my walk with the Lord.
God Is Leading Us to a Life of Freedom
We live in a society where it's all about our rights, right? Our rights are supreme. When we read the Bible and God tells us to do something, we think God is trying to take away from our freedom. When in reality, He's leading us to a life of freedom. Because every command in the Bible is for our good.
True Freedom Is Found in Christ
In our text today, Paul is writing to the Galatians and he tells them, "Christ has truly set us free." True freedom is found in Christ. Then he says, "Now make sure that you stay free." In other words, stop. He's speaking to the Galatians and he's telling them, "Stop trying to earn God's favor because salvation is not achieved. It's received."
Should there be good works in our faith in Christian? Absolutely. God is not against works. Here's what He's against. He's against us trying to earn our salvation. He tells them this: "Now make sure that you stay free and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law."
The law is not a bad thing. It exposes our sin. But Paul says, "The law is not going to save you." If we want freedom, we have to understand that true freedom is being a slave to Jesus Christ. To the world, that can sound crazy. The world can look at us and say, "Why are they giving up these other freedoms?" Here's why we give them up: because we pursue the great treasure. The great treasure and the reward is Jesus Christ.
