|
Stand
fast in the freedom whereby Christ has made us free
Gal5:1 Jesus nailed the law with its rules and regulation on his body on the cross and thereby made us free from sin. He did this to free us from condemnation, guilt, shame, judgment, and conceit and bring us out of bondage into the liberty of the Spirit. The law, St. Paul tells us, is not for the righteous but the sinner and we are made righteous, not by the works of the law, but through faith in Christ. So one of the ways we get free is living by faith. We live by faith as we learn to live in the truth rather than placing our emphasis on facts and circumstances. We live by faith when we confess scripture to overcome life’s trials and tribulations. We live by faith when we transcend reason and human logic and respond to the leading of the Spirit and do the things prompted by the Spirit of God. It must become a priority in our life to get out from being under the law and live under grace. Now the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, meekness, kindness, goodness, self-control, patience, faithfulness, modesty, generosity, gentleness, and humility against such there is no law. When we live in the Spirit, the law is not operative or considered and we are free. Therefore receiving the Holy Spirit is another way we get free. We must learn to live and walk in the Spirit and not indulge the flesh. The flesh profits nothing. It is the Spirit that gives life. My words are spirit and they are life. It becomes imperative that the flesh is crucified, mortified, and put to death so we can learn to live in the spirit and enjoy all the privileges attached to the Spirit. If we live in the flesh, we may have anger, hatred, lust, greed, envy, jealousy, bitterness, unforgiveness, a lying or stealing spirit, but if we learn how to deal with the flesh we can come into a place of victory, power, authority, wholeness, and truth and walk in love, peace, and joy. We are born in a state of sin. Our human nature is corrupted by the fall of Adam and Eve and consequently, we do not live in the Spirit. When the flesh rises up, we are prone to sin, under the condemnation of the law, and we are in spiritual bondage. When we are born again, Jesus frees us from sin, but we must heed the warning of St. Paul, having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the law? Does God work miracles by the hearing of faith or by the works of the law? It is through faith in Christ that we receive all the blessings of God. We must learn to live by faith to get free. We must learn to walk in the Spirit and crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts to get free. We must believe God wants us free and that we can enjoy all the benefits of that freedom. Allow God to set you free. Faith and the Holy Spirit, work together, to lead you out of bondage into the glorious liberty of the children of God where there is peace and love and joy. Get out from being under the law and live in the grace of God. Amen |