Category: “Free!” series

Free! to Be Ruled

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(Matthew 27:27-31)

It’s not hard to see why Christianity isn’t terribly attractive. People are drawn to dominance. We’re sucked into stories of success. We gravitate toward greatness, which is reflected by how much money a person makes, how many wins and championships a team has, or how many followers someone has. Oh, and if you think Christians are immune to this, ask them to consider what a successful church looks like and internally even Christians first think about size and how large a church is as the metric by which it’s determined to be successful. So if even Christians themselves have the idea that “bigger” and “more” are the most attractive qualities, it probably shouldn’t shock anyone that Christianity isn’t winning too many popularity contests these days.

Unsurprisingly then, witnessing Jesus as he is depicted in our verses from Matthew this morning doesn’t align with our idea of greatness. To the excruciating physical pain he had already suffered at being flogged, he could now add the mental and emotional exhaustion of being ridiculed and publicly humiliated by not just a few, but “a whole company of soldiers” (v.27). They then “stripped him.” Ever have anyone walk in on you while you’re changing your clothes? Then you might have a small taste of how humiliating this was. They “mocked him.” Ever been insulted by someone who made fun of you for believing something to be true, especially when you were right? They “spit on him” and “struck him on the head again and again.” Have you ever actually had anyone spit on you? Is there a more blatant to degrade or defy someone? How demeaning all of this must have been for our Savior!

Now when we consider all of this, we may experience a slight amount of pity for Jesus, but I wonder if we would acknowledge another feeling that possibly bubbles to the surface as we consider all of this: disappointment. Pity lasts for a moment, but it gives way to disappointment. Why? Two reasons, really.

One: if anyone in history had both the right and the ability not only avoid this ridicule, but to avenge it, it was Jesus! No matter how familiar we are with this account, no matter how often we’ve heard it, there is something inside each of us that finds a slight satisfaction in considering how Jesus could have – and perhaps we feel should have – handled the situation differently. He could have turned the tables and completely and utterly bullied and humiliated every last soldier and any onlooker involved to an unparalleled degree that the world has never seen. He could have rained down on them unrivaled wrath and the most wretched revenge. He could have put them to death on the spot in some manner by which even the most demented human mind had not yet fathomed. 

Two: throwing more fuel on the fire of disappointment is the reality that they deserved it. There would have been no sympathy from us whatsoever. The way they mistreated and abused Jesus left the door of justice wide open for Jesus to storm through and give them what they rightfully had coming. We don’t bat an eye at the good guy giving the bad guys what they deserve. In fact we have come to expect it and are disappointed when they don’t get it. 

So all of that brings us back to the cold truth. We each have to honestly ask ourselves: “Am I disappointed with Jesus?” Don’t answer too quickly; rather, hold off on your answer until you’ve had some time to evaluate your own behavior. If you are not disappointed or let down by Jesus, then what other reason(s) might you offer for giving him so little time in your life? 

After all, my book doesn’t disappoint me – I can’t put it down until I read the last word! My shows don’t disappoint me – I just let one episode roll into the next until there’s no more to watch. My game doesn’t disappoint me – I’d play it all day long if I had no other responsibility in life. My work doesn’t disappoint me – I might complain about it every waking hour, but even then I wouldn’t dare consider giving that up before anything else in life. 

So we talk about God ruling over everything for our good. We pay lip service to seeking God’s will in our lives. We boldly profess before others that we are proud to be Christians. We do all of these things, except willingly submit to God. We do all the things we think demonstrate his sovereignty in our lives, but neglect to realize that we’re not really submitting to him; we’re not really letting him rule in our lives. He’s there, to be sure, but more or less in the background. Jesus is too often like that app that you heard someone rave about, so you downloaded it to your phone. Maybe you opened it initially and tinkered with it. But then, there is sits on your phone, unused and in the background. There, but never accessed. There, but not on our radar. There, but… might as well not be. 

And what do we deserve for neglect Jesus like this? At best, to be exposed as the frauds we are; at worst, to be charged with treason against him and treated like traitors, like those who give the impression of willing servants, but instead turn the master – servant relationship around so that we call the shots and God does our bidding when and where it serves us, if and when it suits us.

If we are seeking in Jesus the kind of glory the world seeks, we will be disappointed and turned off by him. Yet ironically, if Jesus exerted the kind of power, posture, and dominance that lines up with worldly ideas of glory and rule, it would mean our undoing. It would be our demise. He would have to destroy us. If Jesus sought to appeal to the world’s idea of glory, it would involve flexing his muscle and crushing all who crossed him – which would be the destruction of every last person. No one – not you, not me, not the most “righteous” or goodest of the good among us could stand before him! So the very dominant alpha-male authority that many wish to see in Jesus would be their undoing if Jesus actually exerted that kind of power! It would mean our downfall! Our sin and unrighteousness would not stand a chance in his presence!

So instead, he displayed greatness differently. In humility. In mercy. In sacrifice. Jesus showed his glory by giving – giving up himself. It is no secret that Jesus became less – not more – to win us over. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Listen to the apostle Paul’s descriptions in Philippians 2: “being in very nature God…made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,… he humbled himself and became obedient to death…” (v.6-8). Jesus demonstrated his power, his might, and his authority… by willingly setting it aside to suffer for us. Ah, and that is something when we fully grasp the degree of power, might, and authority that are rightfully and solely his! It is unmatched. Unfathomable. And set aside, so that he might save us. 

The picture we’re left with from Matthew today is precisely what sets Christ apart from every other authority. He made himself nothing so that he wouldn’t have to send sinners to suffer eternally and to show the full extent of his power and might. He endured the painful irony of being made fun of and mocked like a clown instead of magnified as a king, though he alone of all the greatest rulers and powerful leaders throughout history has the sole right to the claim of King. 

Why go to such lengths? Why not go the route of establishing his divine dominance with a show of strength that would put all the Roman and Greek gods to shame? Ah, it was to show that his kingdom truly is like no other. Grace and mercy are his scepter. Kindness and compassion are his crown. And all under his rule are free.

Let me say that again. All who are under his rule are free. Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? How can someone be ruled and be free at the same time? Yet this is how Jesus is described in the very last book of the Bible, “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth… who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood” (Rev. 1:5). Jesus Christ is our King, who rules all things for our good. 

How can being ruled be for our good? Consider the popular trend in individuals and companies using coaches and consultants. It’s big business these days. People are looking to be mentored. Why? Because, although it might be tough at times, and even involve some blunt, uncomfortable stuff, the person who enlists the help of a coach or mentor knows that they have their best interest in mind. Coaches and consultants want to help their clients grow or get unstuck or achieve some goal, so people willingly pay them to push them and do what is best for them. 

In Christ, we have better than a coach or client; we have a King. Not a king who selfishly rules in his own interest, for his own benefit, but a King who rules for the good of his people, the Church – believers. So not only in Christ are we fully and completely free, but we also have a King who rules over all things for our eternal good, for our benefit and blessing. What could be more attractive than that?

Free! – to Face Death

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(based on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

I must confess I am somewhat puzzled by our current relationship with death. It would seem we’re all over the place on our views of death. There is a strong demand in our country for the freedom to put children to death through abortion. Euthanasia and suicide appear to be increasingly acceptable options. Yet, a virus that kills only a minuscule percentage of the population has multitudes paralyzed with fear. I can’t make sense of it. I don’t know if we care too much about death, or not enough as a society. But, society’s relationship with death is not what informs or influences our relationship with death – at least one would hope. For the freedom we have in Christ is a real thing, and it has a direct impact on how we as Christians approach and deal with death. 

The freedom we have in Christ not only frees us from the fear of facing judgment on the Last Day; it also frees us to face something most of us are more than likely to experience before Jesus returns: death. The apostle Paul addresses the very subject of death in our verses this morning. He acknowledges that a lack of knowledge around death and what happens when we die is a legitimate cause for concern and even fear. Often fear flows from what is unknown, so Paul seeks to address that ignorance by educating us under the Holy Spirit’s guidance. 

He introduced the subject matter with these words: “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (v.14). Notice the connection between being uninformed, or ignorant, about death, or as Paul puts it in reference to Christians who have died, “those who sleep,” and hopeless grieving. That is to say, those who are uninformed or ignorant about this matter of death are understandably left mourning inconsolably because they have no hope. So then, how do we ensure hope in the face of death? We make sure we’re informed. 

People speak in all kinds of ways about what happens when a person dies, as if this is some unknown area where one person’s guess is as good as another’s. But the Bible, while it doesn’t come close to answering every single question we have surrounding death, is nonetheless clear on what happens when a person dies. Ecclesiastes 12:7 states, “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” Every human being has both a body and a soul, and at death, the two are separated. The body or its remains are placed into the ground, while the soul goes immediately to either heaven or hell. There is no purgatory or place of limbo where souls are placed “on hold” until the Last Day. There will be no rapture or second chance for people to believe at another point in time, for the writer to the Hebrews established that “people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Then, as Paul describes in the last four verses of our text, Jesus will return on the Last Day. Every dead body, both believers and unbelievers, will be raised and rejoined together with its soul, and will then be permanently and publicly permitted to the final destination of either hell or heaven.   

While many of us have questions about heaven and hell, many of which the Bible doesn’t answer, again the Bible is clear enough in its descriptions about hell that we know it isn’t something we’d wish anyone to experience. The pictures of eternal agony and torment and suffering without any relief whatsoever rule out any foolish idea that maybe there are a few spots in hell that aren’t so bad, as if court-side seats or VIP suites would somehow make it more bearable. While people make passing comments about experiencing hell on earth, such flippant descriptions only serve to seriously downplay the reality of real condemnation in hell. 

Heaven, on the other hand, only gets five-star ratings throughout the whole Bible. It is only ever described in desirable, favorable, blissfully blessed terms. All suffering and sorrow, all letdown and loss, all hardship, hurt, and heartache – all of it is filtered out of heaven so that all that remains is every day is the best day you could ever imagine. And while it will surely be a joyful reunion of the saints, including our loved ones, even those hoped-for reunions will be overshadowed by the beautiful reminder Paul provides: “And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thes. 4:17b). We will no longer know Jesus just from hymns and songs, Bible verses, or artistic renditions, but in reality, face-to-face, in the flesh, in person, in his presence, forever. Any fear in the face of death fades even just by contemplating that magnificent reality of heaven: being with the Lord forever.

What makes the difference? What determines our final destination? We touched on it last Sunday, but have it again here today from Paul in verse 14. “For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” It’s that simple. There need be no uncertainty in the face of death if we can affirm our confidence in this simple statement of Paul. We believe that Jesus died and rose again. Period. And, that means we believe we’re going where Jesus goes, because his death and resurrection have already punched our ticket.  

That means we’re going where six of our church family members have already arrived this year. Each of them believed that Jesus died and rose again, and so God brought each of them to be with Jesus to their final destination of heaven. While gathering restrictions this year did not permit us to hold services for each of these sainted brothers and sisters, nevertheless, no restrictions can ever rob us of the comfort we have in knowing they are with the Lord forever.

And someday, we will be, too. For we, too, “believe that Jesus died and rose again” (v.17b). If Jesus did, and if we believe it, then we’re free. We’re free from the fear of death. So much fear, after all, is based on the unknown. But when we take whatever is unknown and make it known, fear dissipates. When we don’t have to wonder what happens when a person dies, when we don’t have to worry about where we’re going or how we can be sure of it, we’re free to face death. It holds no terror over us. 

But it does more than that, actually. It isn’t about simply making something we all face less scary; it’s about putting what we’re all facing right now in the proper perspective. When we have the peace of knowing that death means being with the Lord forever, then we can take in stride everything this year has thrown at us. While we’re all mentally and emotionally worn out from hearing the same nauseating news over and over and over again, we can temper it with the triumph that is in store for us in heaven. Ah, but friends, if Sunday morning is the only time each week when we think thoughts of Jesus, our salvation, and our place with him forever, but the rest of the week let the news and headlines tickle our ears, are we making the most of every opportunity for the gospel to keep us uplifted and inspired? Are we giving it a fair chance to counter the chaos of our culture right now? 

When Paul wrapped up these verses the same way he did the verses we heard last Sunday, do you think he had in mind just occasionally? Did he just mean once in a great while? Or does his last verse, “therefore encourage one another with these words” (v.18) sound like something we ought to implement as often as necessary? I don’t know about you, but I have not yet had anyone turn down any extra encouragement these days. And I myself appreciate it when you all encourage me. Could we do more of that, especially with an eye toward eternity? Friends, listen to me: this. will. pass. But even better than that, we don’t have to just “get through this”; we actually have something better in store!

With that in mind, and perhaps as a way to keep the encouragement of this Saints Triumphant Sunday before us, here is a planning guide for you. It’s a guide to help you plan your funeral. It doesn’t cover every detail, but does allow for giving consideration to appropriate or favorite Scripture sections or hymns that you would like to have played at your funeral. I invite you to grab one, take some time to think through it, and when you finish it, return a copy to your church and keep one for yourself. Now this might sound like a weird thing to do, but if we’re truly free to face death – and we are – then aren’t we also free to plan for it?

One of the many added blessings of this kind of planning? It is a blessing to a congregation. When we think through and plan for such things because of the confidence we have “that Jesus died and rose again” (v.17b), we can bless Christ’s church long after we leave earth and are with the Lord forever. That is exactly what one of this year’s sainted members did when planning to leave 25% of their estate to support the continued proclamation of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Is that not encouraging?!? That member, blessed by the message of Jesus for so many years here, planned to ensure that same blessing would continue for others after departing for home in heaven. Friends, when we are free to face death, that is the kind of impact we can make! So no, we “do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (v.14), for we know “we will be with the Lord forever” (v.17b).

Free! – to Face Judgment

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(based on 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)

I don’t imagine the first three verses of our text this morning would serve as the ideal bedtime story as you’re saying goodnight and tucking in your little one. “Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (v.1-3). “Sweet dreams.” These aren’t the kind of soothing, calm words that would put a child at ease when lying down for the night!

For that matter, these aren’t the kind of words that go over all that well with adults, either. In fact, some might point to verses just like these in Scripture as the reason they never have and never will give Christianity the time of day. The gloom and doom version of God doesn’t go over so well in a society that has given itself permission to redefine or design the divine according to personal preference. When we’ve allowed our ideas of religion to closely resemble ordering a pizza with our favorite toppings and leaving off the stuff we don’t like, is anyone surprised that most people would prefer to leave off the toppings of hell, destruction, wrath, or judgment? Hardly.

However, though we may not readily admit it, we are all in favor of judgment. Imagine you’re a small business owner and someone breaks into your store and makes off with tens of thousands of dollars worth of product or goods. If the police caught the guys that did it, you’d likely be in favor of justice being carried out and a judgment being rendered. The same would also be true if a drunk driver hit and killed a member of your family, or if someone published an unfounded, slanderous report about you online or in a magazine or paper. When we’re wronged, we’re not opposed to judgment at all when it means justice is being carried out. But when God talks about judgment, it doesn’t sit as well with people. 

You know why that is, don’t you? Consider the child who suddenly hears his father call out to him, “Son, come here right now. We need to talk.” Those words are able to evoke totally different responses in the son. On the one hand, he might immediately react with curiosity, wondering what it could be that his dad wants to talk about. On the other hand, those words can be totally terrifying if he happens to know exactly what dad wants to talk about and it isn’t going to be good. In that situation, what is that determines the son’s perception of his dad’s words? It’s not anything on dad’s end but on the son’s. If he did something wrong, that’s what makes those words terrifying. But if he didn’t do anything wrong, those words are relatively harmless.

So when people balk at the notion of God and judgment, it’s clear why. We don’t want to consider God’s judgment, because our conscience makes it pretty clear what he means when he says, “Come here right now. We need to talk.” When we consider that God is omniscient – all knowing, omnipresent – everywhere, and omnipotent – all powerful, that pretty convincingly rules out any of our wrongs going unnoticed, doesn’t it? There’s no chance that God just happened to be looking the other way. There’s no chance that maybe he didn’t hear us. There’s no chance of anyone pulling one over him.

That means you didn’t actually have to speak your bitter response to that political comment someone made recently, the Judge knew your thought well enough. It means he doesn’t need to check your browser history to see what sites you visited online – the Judge has a browser history that can’t be erased. That means you can lie to your parents, deceive your spouse, and fool your boss – the Judge knows the truth in each and every case, right down to the last disgraceful detail. So it’s no surprise that the idea of God and judgment going together isn’t a popular one with many people.

Especially when we consider the sentence that such judgment deserves. There were two words Paul used in the text this morning to describe what awaits those who don’t meet God’s standards of judgment: “destruction” (v.3) and “wrath” (v.9). Here we must explain another sticking point many have with Christianity. It’s one thing for people to believe in a heaven – that’s all well and good. The struggle for many, however, is the only alternative that exists outside of heaven: hell. They see no reason whatsoever that a loving God could send anyone to a place of such suffering. No heaven? That’s one thing. But why the extreme pain and torment and suffering of hell? Does God delight in that? Then why else would it exist? 

But that misunderstands what heaven is and what it means to be in the presence of God. What makes hell so wretched and unyielding is the absence of God. It’s not that God deliberately or intentionally wished to set up such a place of suffering as some curb or threat so that people would be drawn to heaven instead. Rather, when God is not present, all that remains is unyielding and relentless agony. Not because God wants it, but simply because that’s all that exists when God is removed from the picture.

However, remember that judgment is only something to be feared if you are guilty of something. If you haven’t done anything wrong, then you have nothing to fear. And if Jesus is in the picture, then you have nothing to fear. “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him” (v.9-10). Paul is addressing believers – then AND now. Believers know that they have been chosen – “anointed” as Paul writes – to receive salvation. That salvation is received not by going to church, not by voting for the right presidential candidate, not by anything you could do on even your best day, but only “through… Jesus Christ.” And then, lest we try to make it too terribly complicated, Paul also lays out how Jesus made that possible: by his death. 

This is where the focus ought to be. When so many defiantly denounce God because of their disdain over realities like judgment and hell, they’re pouting over something that doesn’t have to be anyone’s reality – including theirs! Since we’ve already agreed that most everyone is in favor of judgment when it means that justice is being served, we ought to dumbfounded that God chose to carry out the sentence of his just judgment on his own Son instead of you and me. So rather than being disgruntled about judgment and hell, we ought to be delighted that we don’t have to fear it! God’s judgment to all who believe is that since Jesus died, you will live. What’s to fear?

With no fear of judgment then, we live as we have been made to live – not as those who belong to the night, but as those who live in the light as those who belong to the day. That’s how we’re free to live. “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, …let us be awake and sober. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet”  (v.5, 6, 8). Faith, love, and hope. Do those sound like the qualities that embody your day-to-day living? 

The verdict has already been made. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Let every man and even your own conscience itself be liars, but let God’s declaration and promise stand true. If you are in Christ Jesus, you have nothing to fear. There is no condemnation for you. You are free to face judgment because you already know the verdict. 

Could I ask something of you? Could you please – please – follow Paul’s advice? “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (v.11). So many in our world right now need so much encouragement, and you have the best encouragement imaginable to share with them. You have no fear of judgment. Encourage others by reminding them that in Christ Jesus, neither do they.

Free!

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(based on Galatians 5:1-6)

This week we elect the next President of the United States. Today we observe Reformation Sunday. What do the Reformation and a National Election have in common? How are they similar? One might say they both have to do with the important matter of freedom. Regardless of political party, each side has expressed its concern over loss of freedom, whether that concern is tied to the fear of an agenda on the part of one political party or the fear of unilateral actions on the part of the President. During the Reformation, the freedom Jesus came to bring was being stripped by the Roman Catholic Church.

Yet, it is that similarity that could potentially cloud how drastically different each event is. One deals with what is temporal; the other what is eternal. One deals with our role as citizens of an earthly nation; the other deals with our place in the spiritual kingdom. One may some day be taken from us or limited; the other never can.

During the month of November until Thanksgiving, we’ll be directing our thoughts not on the temporary, worldly freedoms we enjoy, which have undoubtedly been a blessing to us in this great nation for so long, but rather on the freedom that lasts forever and is a far greater blessing to us now and into eternity. We will see how the freedom we have in Christ plays a role in our lives on a daily basis. The freedom we have in Christ allows us to Face Judgment, to Face Death, and to Be Ruled. 

For starters, though, we must understand the source of the freedom we have as Christians, and why that freedom we have in Christ is so very important. It is not just because of the liberties it allows us in our Christian living, the freedom to live for and serve God and others not out of coercion, fear, or obligation, but rather with love and gratitude and thanks. These are tremendous blessings, indeed! But they pale in comparison to the greatest blessings of being free – the blessings of being free from the guilt of sin, free from Satan’s control, and free from the fear of death. These, friends, are the blessings of being free!

The Galatian Christians were at risk of losing those blessings of being free. They had heard and believed the gospel message that salvation was God’s gift to them through faith in Christ Jesus. They had experienced the joyful realization that a perfect Savior had fully satisfied every requirement necessary to be at peace with God, and had paid with his own life to cover the cost of their own inability to do so. But Paul wrote this letter to them because they were in danger of trading all of that in – and the freedom that comes along with it. He put it this way in the beginning of his letter: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all” (Galatians 1:6-7).

What was the big deal? What was Paul so concerned about? Some among the Galatians were insisting that being a Christian still had its requirements, that faith in Jesus didn’t mean that God had let his people off the hook of ceremonial requirements and restrictions, but that those were still binding. What a person ate and wore and the rules you kept – they were insisting that those were still essential. In fact, they accused Paul of deliberately removing such requirements from his preaching and teaching to make his message more attractive to his hearers. The scary part was that the Galatian Christians were starting to buy it. 

Have you noticed that the same threat to the gospel appears today? While it may perhaps be a bit more subtle, it’s present. In fact, you may even have been guilty not only of believing it, but declaring it yourself. Today’s version of it sounds like this: “No Christian would ever eat/drink/wear/watch/listen to [blank].” “You can’t be a Christian and support this company or that organization.” “No God-fearing Christian could ever vote for [blank].” “You can’t be a good Christian and [blank].” It doesn’t matter how one fills in any of those blanks, either, because even implying that there are such conditions to Christianity puts an asterisk by our salvation. It implies that Jesus and his work alone aren’t all that really matters for salvation, but that certain requirements and restrictions still apply. If we start believing that rhetoric or find ourselves speaking that way, are we any different than the enemies of the gospel that Paul was addressing in Galatians?

And if anyone thinks this is a little matter, listen to Paul: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (1:8-9). Those are strong words directed at anyone that wants to convey that Christianity is based on the good news of the gospel AND anything else! If anyone teaches that it’s necessary to “read the fine print” or that “certain restrictions apply” when it comes to the gospel, Paul says, “let him be eternally condemned!”

Do those words sound familiar? Ironically, it was the same threat directed at Martin Luther and others who questioned the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church that works were necessary for salvation. So in essence, the church in Luther’s day was guilty of committing the exact same crime as those Paul was addressing in Galatians, implying that only the gospel AND works could save, but here the tables are turned and it is the church of Luther’s day condemning the very teaching Paul was defending in Galatians – that we aren’t saved by what we do, but through faith in Jesus and what HE did for us! Paul condemned anyone insisting that what we do saves, and the church of Luther’s day condemned anyone who denied it!   

In an effort to defend the good news of the gospel, Paul encouraged the Galatians and us, “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” (5:1). Paul plays off the words of Jesus, who invited us to come to him when we’re spiritually worn out and need the rest of forgiveness that only he can provide. Jesus invites us to rely on the “yoke” that he bore for us to provide that rest. But to resort to the law is essentially to remove Jesus’ yoke of rest from our shoulders and replace it with the unbearable yoke of slavery to the law. Paul is trying to establish how ludicrous it would be to exchange the freedom we have in Christ for suffocating standards of the law. And he doesn’t just stop there, but goes on to highlight three devastating consequences of trading in the yoke of Jesus’ rest and forgiveness for the yoke of slavery to the law.

The first Paul lays out in verse two: “Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.” What Paul is saying that if you want to insist on bringing observance of the law back into the equation, then Christ holds no value to you. Imagine an edited Bible that cut out out every reference to Jesus Christ, Savior, Messiah, etc. What would you be left with? You’d have nothing but law. Sure, there would still be talk of God’s love, but any assurance of that love would be entirely dependent upon one’s ability to keep the law – an impossibility! Without Christ in the picture, all that is left is the law. That leads into Paul’s second devastating consequence of putting on the yoke of the law.

To be bound to any part of the law is to be bound to all of it. Paul wrote, “Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law” (v.3). There is no middle ground with the law – it is all or nothing. The law makes clear that God isn’t interested in you giving it your best effort or the old college try. Only perfection from A to Z is acceptable. Martin Luther’s experience in a monastery enlightened him to how deceiving the appeal to observance of the law can be. He wrote, “Thus it is certainly true that those who keep the Law do not keep it. The more men try to satisfy the Law, the more they transgress it. The more someone tries to bring peace to his conscience through his own righteousness, the more disquieted he makes it” (LW, 27:13). He spoke about having seen many murderers facing execution die more confidently than “these men who had lived such saintly lives” [monks]. The law appears to offer the promise of a legitimate utopian oasis, but it is nothing more than a mirage that leaves souls parched with unquenchable thirst. 

Finally, if Christ is of no value and we have obligated ourselves to the whole law by thinking we could keep any part of it, the ultimate consequence is that we fall out of grace. “You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace” (v.4). Picture God’s grace as him scooping you up in the palm of his hand. You did nothing to deserve it. He chose you, even working in you the faith to believe that Jesus is your Savior. As you rest, suspended up in the palm of his hand, you see the exemplary achievements of the law falling all around you, enticing you with their promise of acclaim and worth if only they can be accomplished. Wondering, imagining, that you can perhaps reach out and grab just one or two of them, you stretch yourself too far, falling out of the his palm, out of his grace, into the abyss that awaits all who make the mistake of thinking God’s favor can be earned instead of freely given by his grace. Shudder the thought!

No, friends, the law will never earn us the righteousness God demands. That is ours only through faith. Martin Luther rejoiced to discover what Paul wrote, “For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope” (v.5). Luther knew that his freedom wasn’t granted to him by the pope or an emperor, but by faith. Faith alone made him righteous before God – and free! Friends, faith alone makes us righteous before God – and free! No earthy election can ever rob us of that freedom.