“For freedom Christ has set us free! Stand firm, therefore, and do not
submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
During the month of July we think of FREEDOM in terms of the United States. We have picnics, with hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, and watermelon. Grills are pulled out and in the evening we watch fireworks. We use the day as an excuse to have a party, without really remembering that our FREEDOM came at a high cost on the lives of those who have fought in wars and given their lives for us.
In the passage above we are reminded of the FREEDOM we have in Christ. This FREEDOM came at a high cost as well. Christ Jesus died for us on the cross that we might live in this wonderful FREEDOM Paul talks about in Galatians.
We are faced with both a “fact” and a “goal”! FACT, Christ has set us free! Paul doesn’t tell the readers of his letter that they are to fight for their freedom, but he reminds them of Christ’s action that brought freedom to them. GOAL, to live like we are free in Christ! Our desire should be, when we realize what Christ has done, to live with great joy and the knowledge we are responsible to live our lives to the fullest, precisely because of the action of Jesus.
I don’t know how many of you saw or remember the movie “Saving Private Ryan,” however, there was a message in the movie concerning this desire to live responsibly, making a difference. It begins with the storming of Omaha Beach. All around the men the bombs are falling… the bullets flying… people dying. Word comes to Capt. John Miller that he has orders from Washington to take his patrol into the area to find a young soldier, Private James Ryan, who is the sole surviving child in the Ryan family. During their journey death surrounds the patrol and when they finally find Private Ryan even Capt. Miller dies to save him. Capt. Miller’s final words spark a life mission for Ryan, “Earn this.”
At the end of the movie Ryan stands in Normandy by Capt. John Miller’s grave with his family and asks his wife if he was a good man. Her answer, “Yes!” Yet, he still wonders if his life was worth the lives of all the men who died for him.
Freedom does not mean that we are free to harm others… to speak in degrading ways… to cheat… to disrespect… to live in the sinful ways Paul refers to in Galatians 5, but that we are freed from those things to live joyously and respectfully. Why? Because we are thankful for the freedom we have been given. Do we think of how expensive our freedom was? Is?
Unlike Private Ryan hearing the words of Capt. Miller, “Earn this.”, we walk in a freedom that has already been earned and a desire to celebrate it with others. We hear the words, “Come to me, all 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 11:29–30)
WOW! What a message! Doesn’t it make you want to live for Christ? Doesn’t it make you want to commit to him each and every day? You are free to live joyfully in this ONE. Now live and serve!
In Christ,
Pastor Barb
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