| Christ set us free, so that we should remain free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be fastened again to the yoke of slavery...if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit at all. Gal5:1-2 After all brother, you were called to be free, do not use your freedom as an opening for self-indulgence, but be servants to one another in love. Gal5:13 St. Paul in the two quotations marks out for us the freedom we have in Christ. We are free from the Law, that is we do not serve the Law, but Christ, and we are free from sin, that is, we do not serve our old sin nature or the flesh, but our divine nature (2Peter1). This is the freedom we have in Christ. How long it takes to be actually free depends entirely on the person and God, to what extent he or she is entrenched in either perfectionism, legalism, and or concupiscence, habituation to the dictates of the flesh. We can be in bondage to either. Through regeneration and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. This does not happen all at once but requires practice on our part. But anyone who looks steadily at the perfect Law Of Freedom, and keeps to it… not listening and Forgetting, but putting it into practice will be blessed In every undertaking. James 1:25 By looking to Christ and not the law or our carnal inclinations, but by practicing love, will result in being blessed in every undertaking. Practice will bear fruit... love, joy, peace, faithfulness, kindness, patience, goodness, temperance, and self-control (Gal5:22-23) as we live a life of loving others. Another way of gaining access to this freedom is becoming intimate with the Word of God. But anyone who does keep his word (God's Word) in such a one God's love truly reaches Perfection. (1John2:5 To keep God's word, one must know God's word. Not only one must know God's word, one must speak it and put it into practice. The end result is a life perfect in the sight of God. Now the purpose of this freedom is to love. To keep God's word is to love: to love God, to love neighbor, and to love oneself. The origin of this love is God. Not only that, let us exult, too in hardships, Understanding that hardship develops perseverance And perseverance develops a tested character, Something that gives us hope and hope will not Let us down, because the love of God has been Poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which Has been given to us. Rom5:3-5 God pours his love into us by the Holy Spirit. God first loves us, gives us the gift of His Spirit, and expects us to respond to others in love by his grace. If we do this, not only will we be walking in freedom, not only will others be blessed, but by practicing love, we will be perfected and blessed. No one has ever seen God, but as long as we love Each other, God remains in us and His love comes To perfection in us. This is proof that we remain In Him and He in us, that He has given us a share In His Spirit. 1John4:12-13 St. Paul says it succinctly. "Love never fails." 1Cor13 We show our love for God by keeping his word and putting it into practice. We exercise our freedom by loving others. The perfection of love might be very well demonstrated when not only do we love our friends and neighbor, but when we truly can love our enemies. Love your enemies, do good to those who hate You, bless those who curse you, pray for those Who treat you badly... Give and there will be gifts For you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken \ Together, and overflowing, will be poured into Your lap. Luke 6:27 Luke6:38 This is the very love of Christ, to love our enemies. "Even when we were still sinners, Christ died for us."(Rom5:8) Christ did not wait until we were good to save us. He saved us, filled us with His Spirit, freed us from bondage and expects us to perfect the love He showed us and gave us by loving others as He loved us. Our freedom is not to indulge the flesh, but to serve one another in love and so imitate Christ. When and as we do this, we are made perfect in the image and likeness of God, and we will be blessed in all that we do. Amen |