We Are Free

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

(Galatians 5:1)

Meditation

Some folks evidently don’t believe the blood of Christ is sufficient to cleanse them of their sins. Therefore, they create extra rules for things not to do. They hope to make sure they’re going to be seen by God and others as holy and righteous. They make rules for how to dress in and out of church, that go far beyond the Apostle Paul’s instructions for modesty. Some see the use of certain musical instruments as sinful if they are played during the worship service. They have no objections to those same instruments being played at any other time in the church. In truth, they are tying their salvation to their actions, making the blood of Christ secondary for salvation. They drive people from their churches for not following their rules

Not only are there rules for what not to do, they also make rules for things you must do to hold on to our salvation. They make their good works a requirement for membership. For example, some will require missionary duty of their young members. For whatever reason, they believe they have to prove themselves to God to earn his love. No one can do enough to earn his love anyway no matter what we do. The works or good deeds we do are to show our faith to non-believers, that they might give glory to God. They will know to give him the glory because we should be pointing to him as we help them. We’re not trying to prove our faith to God or each other. We must serve one another not as a condition or requirement of salvation, but because we are free to express Christ’s love in doing so!

By repenting of our sins, confessing Christ as our Lord and Savior, and being baptized (immersed) we will fulfill all the requirements for salvation. Just as the Apostle Peter told us in Acts 2:38. We don’t have to clean up our act and somehow make ourselves good enough for Jesus to save us. We walk by faith and we are saved by grace, period! We can do nothing to earn or keep a hold of our salvation. Salvation if free, there is nothing else for us to do. The work was done almost two thousand years ago on the cross. It’s his blood that saves us, not anything we do to prove how good we are. Jesus went to the cross to free us from the bondage of sin! Don't trade that bondage for the bondage of man-made legalism!

Prayer Time

Father God the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross, is what saves us. We can do nothing to earn or deserve his sacrifice. So why, Lord, do we try to return to a form of bondage by placing man-made rules on us and our fellow believers. When we do that, we are discounting the work Jesus did on the cross. Father help us to see the futility of trying to stay pure by piling silly rules on each other. We have been freed from the bondage to sin, which would eventually lead us to hell. Jesus paid a horrendous cost to purchase our freedom. Keep us from surrendering our liberty to a few rule makers, who are wrong headed, at best, or of evil intent at worst. They may have the ability to make their forms of bondage seem correct, but they are the modern-day equivalent of the Pharisee. Give us Holy Spirit power and strength to resist their reasoning. If we hear a church leader say we are not dressed properly for church, help us to flee from their poisonous influence. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!