Freedom for a Purpose

What is freedom?

A man named Michael Blakley from Milwaukee, Wisconsin once shared a story about an enlightening experience that he had. He said...

I was attending graduate school in the early 1980s, I stopped for coffee in a Malibu, California, restaurant. Coming from a nonpolitical family, I knew nothing of political activists—but I met one that day in that restaurant.

He told everyone what a mess the United States had become. He ridiculed our government and our educational, industrial, and banking systems. He was on such a roll that he had everyone on his side except for two people: an old man and me. The activist shied away from me, seeing my Pepperdine hat, Ronald Reagan T-shirt, and Wall Street Journal. So he went after the old man.

As he approached, the old man continued slurping his soup and turned his back. The activist sat down at the old man’s table and offered, “Mister, if you can tell me just one thing the United States has ever done for you, just one measly thing, I will leave you alone.”

Finally, the old man looked up. He licked his spoon clean and set it down on the table. His red face indicated years of laboring in the sun. With a heavy Russian accent, he replied, “Ve hold zees truz to be self-evident, dat all men created equal, life, liberty, perzuit of happiness.” Then he went back to the soup. The activist, defeated, could not argue against what the old man had experienced on both sides of Communism.

Next weekend we will celebrate Independence day as a nation. Between the holiday and the political climate we are in today, there have been plenty of things to think about when it comes to freedom. When you turn on the TV or radio, someone is there telling you that this group of people isn’t free or another group is losing their freedom. I definitely don’t want to accidentally get a debate started today, but all of this constantly in our faces made me ask myself a few questions.

What does freedom mean to a specific group of people? This political party? That city? What does freedom mean to us as a nation? What does freedom mean to me as a Christian? What would it have meant to a Christ follower in Paul’s day? What would it have meant to the disciples? What does it mean to someone who doesn’t follow Christ? What does it mean to my friends? My family? What does freedom mean to God? Even though freedom may have a specific definition, we each put our own little personal spin on the term. Especially when we try to understand scripture and sometime it feels like freedom is a tight rope, somewhere in between the law and Animal House.

For the next couple of weeks we are going to talk about freedom. Today I want to get a foundational understanding of what freedom is according to scripture and next week we will focus more on what it means to live in that freedom. Here is the way we define freedom today in our culture, according to the dictionary…

Freedom: the condition of being free; the power to act, speak, or think without externally imposed restraints.

The key word there being “power”. The more freedom you have, the more power you have. The more power you give to someone or something else over you, the less freedom you have.

There is a story about a Romanian man who wanted to move to England, so he went to the appropriate authorities and they asked him, “What’s the matter? Hasn’t the state given you a comfortable apartment?”

“I can’t complain,” answered the Romanian.

“Don’t you have a good job?”

“I can’t complain.”

“Then why on earth do you want to immigrate to England?”

“Because there I can complain.”

When we look at freedom in Scripture, we find that it is pretty important to God. In the OT God continually rescued the poor, abused and oppressed. He gave people rules that, by design, undermined things like slavery. When the Israelites wanted to have a king, He warned that a king would put them into slavery and take away their freedoms. When Jesus came, He was constantly setting people free from things that had power over their lives. One commentary defines God’s freedom in this way...

Lexham Theological Wordbook Freedom

Freedom is the state that emerges after God has acted to remove all hindrances—social, spiritual (sin and death), economic, and institutional—that block our creational purpose. This purpose is to know, love, worship, and enjoy God forever. This is a freedom that has been won for us by the death and resurrection of the Messiah. By the power of the Spirit, the Christian seeks to live into this freedom and to join with God in freeing others, while we await freedom’s full realization at Christ’s second coming

I love the way that quote defines freedom. “The state that emerges after God removes everything that separates us from Him.” It is something we get to experience after we are moved FROM one condition TO another. From being captured or enslaved by something to being released from that bondage. In Galatians, Paul really challenges our idea of what enslaves us. He forces us to examine what makes us free. So, what are we set free FROM? To what have we been set free FOR? If you are taking notes...

Freedom means being set free FROM bondage to perfection.

Christ came and set us free from the bondage of the law. I like the way one pastor defines freedom. He says that freedom sets us free from obligation to perfect obedience.

Paul speaks often about freedom in his writings. We are going to focus on Paul’s letter to the Galatians. In this letter, Paul didn’t take much time with a big greeting, he jumped straight in to his concerns. Right away he says, “I am shocked that you are turning away from God so quickly.” But what could make them turn away from God? It was this bondage that made them think they had to do something to earn salvation. “Yeah, Jesus died for me as a sacrifice for my sins then conquered death and rose 3 days later, but I still have to do XY&Z to hold on to that salvation. I still have to pray 3 times before bed every day, spin around 5 times, confess on Sundays (twice if I’ve really messed up), spend 7.5 hours serving somewhere every year and say more good things than bad things every day.” Bondage. Returning to the law. As Christ followers we have to have a fancy word for everything, so we call this one legalism.

Paul eventually lands in chapter 5 where he essentially says that the Good News about the Messiah is freedom, freedom is the Good News. Our definition of freedom and God’s definition of freedom are very similar, but they are also very different. Sure, there is power in freedom, but that is where our flesh stops defining the word. God’s definition keeps on going. There is more to freedom than just power and control over our own lives. More than just being able to say, “This is a free country, I can do what I want!” According to the flesh or the old self, freedom defines my power; my power comes from my freedom. But according to Paul, freedom is more of a byproduct of the removal of sin and bondage to the law. It’s the vehicle for God’s power to come into our lives through grace. Let’s look at one of my favorite verses in the whole bible...

The New International Version Chapter 5

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Have you ever sat and thought about that verse? It’s worded pretty weird. For freedom we’ve been set free. What does that even mean? To me this verse actually makes more sense when looking at a literal translation of the Greek text. The first 5 Greek words translate to, “In freedom, us Christ has set free.” To really grasp what Paul means by this you really need to read the previous 3 or 4 verses, but he is comparing freedom and slavery and he uses those 2 terms to describe God’s Spirit and the law. So to put it simply, Paul is saying that it is by God’s Spirit that we are given the Spirit/Freedom, not by our own efforts. Not by following the law, which he calls “a yoke of slavery”.

In Jewish tradition, the image of the yoke was often used to describe the law’s role of guiding people in righteousness. Paul uses the imagery to show now that Christ has come it doesn’t lead or teach anymore, but instead enslaves people. He says don’t be burdened by this yoke of slavery. Don’t be burdened. The Greek word that is translated to “Burdened” is enechō. (en-ekh’-o)

enechō: to be held, entangled, be held ensnared.

Don’t get caught up in the “Do’s and the Don’ts” or the legalism. Don’t get entangled by false teaching. Christ took the burden of the law and set us free. In freedom, Christ has set us free. A duck hunter from Southeastern Georgia knows all to well what this phrase means…

A duck hunter was with a friend in the wide-open land of southeastern Georgia. Far away on the horizon he noticed a cloud of smoke. Soon he could hear cracking as the wind shifted. He realized the terrible truth: a brushfire was advancing, so fast they couldn’t outrun it.

Rifling through his pockets, he soon found what he was looking for—a book of matches. He lit a small fire around the two of them. Soon they were standing in a circle of blackened earth, waiting for the fire to come.

They didn’t have to wait long. They covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and braced themselves. The fire came near—and swept over them. But they were completely unhurt, untouched. Fire would not pass where fire had already passed.

The law is like a brushfire. I cannot escape it. But if I stand in the burned-over place, not a hair of my head will be singed. Christ’s death is the burned-over place. There I huddle, hardly believing yet relieved. The law is powerful, yet powerless: Christ’s death has disarmed it.

Freedom sets us free FROM bondage to perfection. Paul is frustrated with the Galatians for thinking that salvation can’t be that simple and surely the law is still super important! So in the first part of chapter 5, Paul warns the Galatians of what happens when they turn back to the law. When they try to serve 2 masters, the law and the Spirit. Here you are, Galatia… Set free, living under the Spirit, no longer bound by the law… But then you return to that law. Do you realize what you are doing. Paul says, “I’ll give you 5 things that you are doing. 5 things that happen when we turn away from Christ and back to our own abilities.”

TURNING TO THE LAW DEVALUES GRACE.

In Paul’s own words in verse 2… “Christ will be of no value to you at all.” If I must still follow the law, why would I need Christ? If Jesus wasn’t powerful enough to begin with, why would I bother to follow Him?

2. TURNING TO THE LAW CREATES DEBT.

Paul says, “Anyone who decides to be obedient to this one law is obligated to obey the whole law.” You can’t just pick and choose. If you take one, you must take them all. If one is required for salvation, they are all required. By offering to pay for one part of your ticket, you have indebted yourself to the entire bill.

3. TURNING TO THE LAW ALIENATES FROM CHRIST.

In his words, Paul says, “You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ.” In other words, you can’t have it both ways. You must choose one or the other. Either the law is required or Christ is all you need. You can’t serve 2 masters. By nature, serving the law takes you away from Christ or at the very least removes Jesus from the equation. On the other hand, following Christ removes you from the obligation of the law.

4. TURNING TO THE LAW ENTANGLES OTHERS.

He quotes a proverb saying, “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” This false teaching spreads. I may be burdening myself, but it has the potential to entangle others around me.

5. TURNING TO THE LAW DILUTES THE POWER OF THE CROSS.

Paul tells them, “If I am still preaching the law, then why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.” Sure, we might be able to get people off our backs by giving in to them and adopting the ideas of people who are not Christ followers. Water down the Gospel so that people are less offended. In Paul’s case, throw in a little law and make it more familiar to the Jews. Take out a little of the cross and make it a little less objectionable to the Gentiles. Who says scripture isn’t relevant today? Here Paul is, 2000 years ago, talking about people being offended by Christianity. Listen to what Paul said to the Corinthians...

1 Corinthians 1:18–25 NLT

18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” 20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. 24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

Now, I have a bonus bit of curiosity for you. I don’t know if Paul is responsible for this or not, but there is a very subtle reference to Jonah in Galatians 5:12. It really doesn’t even matter if he meant to make this reference, because I fully believe God was behind it one way or another. Just a quick refresher on Jonah, in chapter 3 God told Jonah to take His message to Nineveh so Jonah gave his 5 word sermon. Does anyone happen to remember what the message was?

“40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

Then Nineveh repents so God relents. Jonah declared that God was going to “haphak” Nineveh (turn over/destroy), but instead God “nacham” them (pitied/changed His mind/turned from his anger).

In Galatians 5:12, Paul calls these people causing confusion “troublemakers”. Depending on which version you read, it is translated a bunch of different ways, but the Greek word used means “to upset, unsettle, trouble, or turn upside down”. Whether he intends to or not, Paul is comparing these trouble makers who are spreading false teaching to Jonah, who also tried to twist the meaning of God’s word. Then, figuratively speaking, Paul said that these people should cut themselves off. Does anyone remember what Jonah did after his sermon? He separated himself from Nineveh and sat in his little Eden tent.

Isn’t that amazing! I’m telling you guys, Jonah is everywhere. When I was preparing for today, I was honestly not expecting to see Jonah at all. Such a great story. It is interesting that Paul is making these subtle connections to Jonah right here because, if I’m honest, he is starting to sound a little upside down like Jonah. We are free now, so the rules don’t matter? So what’s Paul saying? We are free FROM bondage to the law TO what? Sin? Now we can just do whatever we want since we are forgiven? Christ’s blood is our ticket to party? That God went to all of this work and sacrifice so that we would have FREEDOM and POWER to sin!?! Just saying that makes me feel gross inside. OF COURSE NOT. I love the way Paul said it in Romans and especially the way it’s worded in the New Living Translation...

New Living Translation Chapter 6

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

This brings us to our final thought for today.

Freedom means being set free TO serve one another in love.

I really like the imagery of this story.

In The Grace Awakening, Charles Swindoll recalls the sense of freedom he had when as a teenager he first received his driver’s license. His dad rewarded him.

“Tell you what, son … you can have the car for two hours, all on your own.” Only four words, but how wonderful: “All on your own.”

I thanked him.… My pulse rate must have shot up to 180 as I backed out of the driveway and roared off. While cruising along “all on my own,” I began to think wild stuff—like, This car can probably do 100 miles an hour. I could go to Galveston and back twice in two hours if I averaged 100 miles an hour. I can fly down the Gulf Freeway and even run a few lights. After all, nobody’s here to say “Don’t!” We’re talking dangerous, crazy thoughts! But you know what? I didn’t do any of them. I don’t believe I drove above the speed limit. In fact, I distinctly remember turning into the driveway early.… I had my dad’s car all to myself with a full gas tank in a context of total privacy and freedom, but I didn’t go crazy. Why? My relationship with my dad and my grandad was so strong that I couldn’t, even though I had a license and nobody was in the car to restrain me. Over a period of time, there had developed a sense of trust, a deep love relationship that held me in restraint.

In the same way, our love for Christ keeps us from abusing the freedom he gives us.

This is how Paul says it to the Galatians...

New Living Translation Chapter 5

13 For 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. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.

The essence of the Law is to love your neighbor. But God recognizes that to truly love another person you must have a component that the Law could not provide. FREEDOM. The law can make you treat people lovingly, but our Father frees believers from slavery under the law so that we CHOOSE to serve one another. Here is an interesting fact about our English word “Freedom”. This comes from “Vocabulary.com”.

You’ll notice the word free in freedom. Free comes from the German frei, meaning, “to love.” The word friend shares this origin. You can think of freedom as the condition in which you have the choice to love any friend you wish.

I want to share one last story with you, then we will close...

On April 8, 1983, before a live audience and on television, in a dramatic effort to illustrate the tragedy that would ensue should America lose her freedom, David Copperfield, the renowned magician, created the illusion that the Statue of Liberty had disappeared. Following the incredible feat, the young man spoke briefly, spontaneously. He declared that he was a son of immigrants, and that his mother pointed with pride to France’s gift of the statue to America. The unveiling was October 28, 1886. That which impressed David Copperfield’s mother was not its enormity—the statue and pedestal is 305-feet, six-inches tall and weighs two-hundred-twenty-five tons—but a portion of the poem by Emma Lazarus articulating the basic philosophy of American democracy, especially these two lines: “Give me your tired, your poor,/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Mr. Copperfield continued that America would remain free so long as people remembered to communicate, to care, and to show compassion. True freedom, he declared, “is magic.”

Next weekend we celebrate freedom as a nation. As we do, don’t just focus on what we are free FROM. Slavery, monarchy, the Law, sin. Remember WHY we’ve been set free. Free from bondage TO choose to love one another the way God loves us. That is a freedom worth celebrating.