Daily Worship

Freedom!!!

John Povey September 22, 2024 4 2
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Galatians 5: 1 (NRSVA)

1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Paul describes in Galatians the freedom of standing firm. Now that sounds like a bit of a conundrum! What, then, does he mean?

We live in a world of cause and effect. Promotion in the work place is based on our abilities and performance. We enjoy success and we dread failure. This is a system that Paul might describe as works.

However strong the temptation, our relationship with God cannot be defined by works.  God is not like an employer. We may imagine that if we go to church, live a good life, help people, and do everything right, then God will favour us. If we can avoid sin, we expect that God will reward us. But God’s ways are not like our ways. The New Testament tells us of a new system through Christ, called grace.

Your heavenly Father loves you simply because He loves you. Nothing you can do will make Him love you more. Nothing you can do will make Him love you less. That is grace.

There is an old song that goes,

“We shall not, we shall not be moved…

Just like a tree that's planted by the water, we shall not be moved”.

God’s grace is the foundation of our freedom. By God’s grace through the Cross of Jesus, every mistake we make is covered, every sin is forgiven. As we stand firmly steeped in the healthy flowing waters of God’s grace, God’s mercy opens the way to true freedom for us to live as God desires us to live. That is the freedom of standing firm.

 

Prayer:

 

God of grace, set me free from the shackles of living life in my own limited strength. In my weakness, you are strong for me. Weave the story of your grace into every part of my life, and let me use the blessings you give me to share your grace with those around me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.