Freedom

If you missed Sunday you missed another good event.  Chase, admittedly a little raspy from playing at coffee shops 3 nights in a row, led us in memorable worship.  I think that when we are humble and maybe a little raspy God often shows up especially strong!  As always, our own Lucy provided support vocals. I did my best to do justice to the Apostle Paul’s excellent teaching in Galatians 6.  Please post the verse of the week on a mirror or some other prominent place in your home: ‘For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.’ (Galatians 6:5)  This verse has it all.  (1) Reliance on the Holy Spirit. (2) Active faith while yet imperfect. The back story in Galatians is this desire to be justified by trying real hard.  It’s as if trying real hard can get us forgiven or can somehow energize our lives to live for Christ. Trying really hard wears us out rather than energizing us. Rather, we began by simple faith – that Jesus died for my sins, we continue on by simple faith that he will energize my life to serve him as imperfect as I may be! ‘For in Christ Jesus (nothing matters) but faith energizing through love.’ (Galatians 6:6)  In Christ, our Abba Daddy has given us liberty to live, to enjoy life and to engage in life with others as an imperfect person!!  Every act by faith makes a deposit in heaven’s bank at compounding interest for an infinite eternity!  Every sin simply disappears. Yeah, trusting the blood of Jesus is that powerful!

We are told at the beginning of Galatians 6 to ‘keep standing firm’ in our liberty.  This means that we must be vigilant or we will be spiritually deceived and fall back into relying upon our own efforts.  We will be back in our childhood school room throwing erasers or spitballs, worrying about grades, pulling the pony tails of the girl seated before us J, watching the clock until the bell rings OR we will be living by faith in the liberty the Holy Spirit gives.    Allow me to suggest three actions to take:

1.    Throw away the chalk board.  Stop keeping track of your own sins or the sins of others.

2.    Don’t sit and cry on the field like the girl trying out for the Olympic track and field team.  Brush yourself off.  Don’t accuse or set blame.  You can weep with those who weep and laugh with those who laugh – because you are no longer competing for best athlete with them.  You can cheer on another in their successes because it does not reflect on you. You can cry with those who cry without casting blame for failure. We are all sinners, given liberty to live, enjoy life and engage with others as imperfect people.  Are eyes are on that day when Jesus makes us perfect.  But today is not that day!

3.    Embrace your Daddy’s hug. This is not your daddy’s hug (note the little ‘d’) as much as he loves you and you love him. This is your Daddy’s hug.  The One who sent His Son to die for your sins and freely forgives you because Jesus satisfied justice completely. Jesus bore your shame once for all to the cross. You are free to enjoy Him without fear or regret. So get at it!

Happy to serve,

Dean