For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
We were called to freedom.
Called to kingdom, a dominion of free reign.
No longer slaves, but sons and daughters.
That was what we were originally designed for and what Jesus brought us back into.
Have you ever stopped to consider what that means? I love looking at the original text and the words that were chosen in the language the Bible was first recorded. In this passage, the word for called in the greek (ekalesen) refers to a one-time directive that extends for a long period of time. You may also recognize the beginning of this word- "eka"- as in ekklesia. The greek word for the church or the called ones. We, believers, as called-ones are called TO freedom. A call issued at the beginning of time that would sound throughout eternity to the heirs of God. The reinstatement of the context of relationship with God- without boundary or limitation....fully free.
How is this freedom obtained?
Freedom is not secured by anything other than the cross. That act of Calvary paid for it in full. Jesus' blood rectified the separation mankind had suffered up until that point. There was and is nothing else needed to finish what is complete. The whole law- ALL OF IT- being summed up by the action of giving what we freely received, "Loving our neighbor as ourself". Having that capacity only because of the love that called and received us.
Paul addresses this call in Romans 8:30 saying, "And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."
Without digressing back into the whole of what we have unpacked in previous posts, God calling us TO freedom was not a new thing, but a restored thing. Jesus made a way for the rest of us to be justified and glorified in Him. It's because of this very truth we are able to come into relationship with the Father. A relationship freely offered.
Freedom is not relegated to one invitation or set of circumstances. Freedom (a free dominion or kingdom) is required for choice. Of course Christ would die for freedom's sake if the reward was to bring back many sons and daughters. Remember the whole trust metaphor? Now, we are able to acquire what God made accessible through Jesus.
So, what's the issue?
With great power comes great responsibility ~Ben Parker, Spiderman
When we enter into freedom, the freedom that we are called to, we still have the choice of how to govern ourselves and who to submit to in the free dominion as we live. Freedom does not release us into our own desires or truths. Freedom is the access to kingdom without measure. This access is still relegated (at least in part) to how we respond to the freedom we have as we continue to live our lives this side of the veil.
It's important to note this because after Paul has made a case for staying true to the Gospel, he also makes a point to ensure that a life of kingdom freedom is not a license for self-gratification or pleasure. Freedom is an opportunity rather than an accessory. Jesus said himself, Freely you have received, freely give. (Matthew 10:8) The freedom that we have in Christ is best displayed by loving one another in the way that Jesus loves us. Love is the vehicle- the mode in which we serve one another. Love is not fluid or experientially definable. Love IS the nature of Jesus and expressed by a perfect life sacrificed in the place of all existing sin to bring us back into relationship with God. It isn't a sexual desire, an attraction, compassion, instinct, etc- this pure love, agape love is a gift we are able to give because we have received it in Jesus and find our identity in its care.
So why does Paul say this after his crude remark about the offenders feeling free to emasculate themselves?
I propose that Paul recognized his own choice in the ensuing circumstances. The division so readily instigated by the enemy in pitting Jew vs. Gentile would become a means of attack for centuries to come. Freedom, therefore, could be used to CHOOSE love or CHOOSE division and that choosing love would not be at our discretion, but by Jesus' example.
The logical questions to ask next would be, "How does one do that?" and "What is love?"
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Ok. God wouldn't call you into something He wouldn't guide you through, right?
That's rhetorical! Of course He wouldn't!
That's why we have Holy Spirit- we can trust Him and His leading. You've heard the term "saved, being saved and will be saved", the triplicate reality of Jesus' victory is past, present and future. Our spirit is saved, reconciled and redeemed at the moment we receive Him. Our soul begins a process that comes into alignment over time with this same truth. It is the "glory to glory" and relational journey that we become more and more like Jesus until the other side of the veil (I honestly believe this process never ends...ever!). Finally, our bodies- our flesh, will one day be completely aligned with the Victory of the cross. Until then, our flesh is given access to kingdom while still having an imprint, if you will, of the world. This carnal part of humanity wars against the new birth in Spirit. That's also why in the process of sanctification, most all experience a desire to do the right thing while also a pull to do the opposite at times. Those old habits can influence your freedom in Christ.
Yet, we are reminded once more- if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Old habits and mindsets are the way of the "dead man" and there's no reason to go back and revisit a corpse when you're walking in freedom.....get it? YOU ARE NO LONGER A SINNER BUT A SAINT!!!
Another quick digression to those who have been taught incorrectly- When you are saved, you get a new nature! You no longer have a sin nature, but the nature of Jesus Christ. There cannot be a divided house- that's Jesus' words in Mark 3:25. You can't have both natures. Once you're saved, you're not warring against a sin nature any longer--you're just confronting bad habits and behavior....yes, you can CHOOSE to sin, but it is NOT your nature! You are no longer a sinner, but a saint that can choose to sin.
What does this look like? Paul makes it pretty clear and quite easy to understand.
We get to look at the fruit of the flesh vs the Spirit as evidence of our stewardship of freedom. Our choices really do matter a lot- not just in our eternal inheritance, but our experience and access to the kingdom NOW.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ouch.
Remember just a few sentences ago we were told to serve in love. Notice that the list of the works of the flesh make it quite clear what is in opposition to God. You can't serve in love if serving in love looks like works of the flesh.....read that again.
By the way, I know there are still times in my life that I have experienced my flesh influence my nature as a believer. This isn't even a complete list and regardless which one you land on, it's a real thing to be aware of where you are still choosing an old pattern vs a new opportunity.
But, there is good news....while these are a compilation of the works of an old system- they are not our default any longer. Recognizing them, when and if they happen is an invitation for repentance and renewing our mind to come into alignment with our new spirit. You get to CHOOSE a new way and- even better- as a believer you are programmed and empowered to operate in that new way!
These are evidence of an OLD SYSTEM. One that was under the law TO RELEGATE it. That's not us anymore! If we continue to do these things, we are submitting ourselves to an inferior reality. Get it? If you use freedom to indulge the flesh- you CAN'T inherit the kingdom. The two don't coincide. The kingdom of God is not just a future destination, it is the higher reality of NOW. It is the John 10:10 life of abundance. Using freedom to do life the way it FEELS good to you while banking on heaven as an eternal destination is NOT what Jesus paid for! Someone needed to hear that.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
This is the evidence of a life lived WITH God. No need for a law to regulate against the nature of heaven. That is why there is no law. It isn't just an obvious statement- it is profound in that a life lived in freedom with Holy Spirit is a life that exudes the kingdom and is in no need of a guardian or limitations. It is life lived as it was designed to be lived. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Freedom 2 Corinthians 3:17.
This. This is what the kingdom of God looks like. It is RELATIONAL and a PROCESS. Both the relationship and process being dependent on our choices as we pursue Jesus. I would suggest that the degree to which you experience heaven NOW has an incredibly large spectrum of possibility dependent on how you walk with Holy Spirit and welcome repentance from the habits of your flesh to the call of God on your life. YOU get to decide. That's a sobering thought. Especially when Jesus says there will be people that recognize and call to Him at the end and He responds with I never knew you. Knowing God is not the same as knowing about Him. If you know Him- yada/ginosko (look it up)- you belong to Him and your life will demonstrate it.
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Those who belong. Those who have submitted their lives back to the one who reinstated the nature of who we are and how we are to live- with Him. Belonging to the most loving, patient, gentle, faithful, good and consistent father that exists. Belonging to Him literally hides me in his death and reveals me in his resurrection eradicating sin and the passions and desires of the flesh along with it. No longer in need of a guardian but being perfectly protected and directed by Jesus in a day-by-day process of becoming more and more like Him. If we life by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Day by day. Step by step.
Don't be fooled by any attempt of the enemy to persuade you into thinking you're not doing enough for God. You can't earn Him. You can't earn your way into heaven. We can ONLY come to Him through Jesus. period.
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
This last exhortation felt wonky to me reading and re-reading. It's an obvious "Christian" thing to say, but why in the context of the fruit of the Spirit vs the works of the flesh?
Here's my thoughts:
We're all on a journey, right? Where I am in my relationship with God isn't where you're at. The world would love to pit us against one another by measuring our relationship with God against one another's. However, God doesn't pit us against each other. Go look at the list again. Dissension, rivalry, jealousy, division- that's all the enemy. If your enemy can't get you to falter on yourself- he'll try to get you to falter by getting you to compare yourself and your journey with someone else. 1 Corinthians 8:1 Knowledge puffs up, but loves builds up. As we get to know God deeper in our own lives, that knowledge can have the opportunity to influence us in a way that makes us proud and arrogant. It is also important that wherever any of us are in our journey with Jesus that we do not hold ourselves higher than one another or believe that we have a more full understanding of the Gospel.
The more I get to know God, the more I realize how little I know. It's incredible and amazing and terrifying. I don't mean terrifying in a bad way, but in the way that you realized the enormity and expansiveness of something that far exceeds your understanding. This study and intentional period with Galatians reveals even more the importance of the Gospel and what it means for us- the reality it reveals to us and the utmost sanctity of preserving the message of Jesus. We cannot afford to put ourselves under the law or outside of the kingdom based on ignorance, arrogance or choice.
In the United States, we have seen what complacency and blindness has allowed to influence and restrain our freedom. I can't help but see the parallels with Kingdom culture and the complacency/blindness of the ekklesia. It is time to be bold. It is time to stand firm. It is time to speak truth and love well and call each other back to the freedom for which Christ died for. It is time.
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