The Freedom Through the Spirit of God in Christ Jesus!

‘You have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”’ – Galatians 5:13-14 NLT

First of all, we need to know two things, which are that we are sinners from the beginning (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12) and Jesus Christ paid the panalty for our sins by crucifying Himself on the cross. (Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14-15) Hence, we are callled to live in freedom only by becoming the slaves to righteousness. (1 Peter 2:24)

Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:15-23)

For this reason, Jesus Christ invites us to become the slave of righteousness by saying:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Even though becoming a follower of Jesus Christ is hard (Matthew 16:24-25), we must presevere it until the end of the age—since He is the way of the truth and the life. (John 14:6) This is because our citizenship is already in the eternal kingdom of heaven, if we believe Him as our Lord and Savior. (Philippians 3:20-21) This means that if we become a follower of Jesus, then kingdom of heaven becomes our destiny. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14)

Hence, God who is our heavenly Father (Ephesians 4:6) has given  us His Spirit to advocate us in the walk with Him. We can see this in John 14:15-17,26-27, which declares:

If you love me, keep my commands.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Thus, the word of God states:

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10)

           

For this reason, we ought to use our freedom in the Spirit of God to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14) This is because we are members of one another through Christ Jesus. (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13) Because of this, we have to love each other as love brings us into perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14) Therefore, the word of God orders us to love each other whole-heartedly.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall  not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)

To be honest, I believe that we are members of one another in the spiritual term. This  is why I am doing devotional-writing. My aim is to influence others spiritually for the glory (Colossians 3:4) and the kingdom of God. (Matthew 7:21) For this reason, I do not do devotional-writing to get my glory and my pride.