Dialogue about Freedom

"Freedom " Galatians 4:21- Dialogue for a Presentation for the Reasonableness of the Christian Faith

 I imagine if one could ask human beings what is their one thing that they wish to have above all else, it would be freedom.  From our days of being raised as an infant we can remember--- if only I could do things my way!  That reminds me of the  picture of me with spaghetti all over my head.  As a baby, that was freedom.  We can remember when we said to our parents something about doing things our way or doing them, as I do when my daughter said her first sentence in the pool at a hotel, " I get the ball."  That impressed me!  She could not swim, but she could get the ball with the little float device she was hanging on to . We recall what  Mark Twain said, " When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."

Now I will confess I do not know as much I would like to.  I happen to have 3 degrees including HS, 4, but a piece of paper on the wall does not help except look nice for visitors.But I do know  our country prides itself on being a freedom loving people and if you asked anyone they would probably agree with it.  What is one of the most important founding documents of the US?  " The Declaration of Independence"....when we decided we had enough of those taxes without representation ( in England that is).

The little letter that we find in the Scriptures, the Holy  Bible, is called Galatians.  It is in the region of Galatia in modern day Turkey, along with Ephesus and Pergamum...some other spots mentioned in the Bible.  The Galatians had been pagans apparently.  Pagans means of the country orig or opposed to a Soldier, a civilian, not a Soldier of Christ.  The writer to the Galatians, who happens to be the one converted by meeting Jesus on the road as a blinding light when he was killing Christians ( the Apostle Paul), is writing the letter to convince the Galatians that they should continue in the freedom they already have by faith in God and in Christ.  He says to them, " Tell me, you that desire to be under the law ( the law of God that is, Old Testament requirements and such), do you not hear the law?" 4:21

Some may say, " God exists perhaps but believing He has spoken in the Bible is a leap of faith."  This is the view of a lot of people especially today.  If it wasn't we would not be talking about things like, " What is marriage?", and is it wrong to just live as you please in your own freedom, that is do whatever you want in the flesh for ex. ... What does doing what ever you please get you in the end?  Of course one could die sooner if one lived as they pleased , not getting proper rest.....etc..... Paul was writing to Gentile , that is not Jewish converts to the faith mostly to explain to them that the law which was given by God cannot give us life. 

 We all know that our lives are often unhappy and imperfect.  We do things that are not right for us.  One of the most crowded places at HEB is the donut shelf .  I love donuts, but if you eat too many of them they can hurt your health. I prefer to go down the celery and radish shelves but sometimes I cannot but help to see the donuts. We also know that our lives here end at some point.  We die .  Christianity has an answer for that.  The same man that wrote Galatians said to the Corinthians in modern day Greece somewhat near Athens, " For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain....then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If only in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all most miserable." I Corinthians 15:16...

None of us wish to knowingly leave this life without a hope that this life goes on for those who trust and believe in God now.  This faith is based on history for the Bible was written by real people to real places and Jesus was a real Person. Archaeology proves this .  There is a witness to what has happened in the world in His ( Jesus') Resurrection from the dead.  He is alive now and sits at the highest place of honor next to God the Father in heaven ruling.  We know that the flesh we have does not last.  We know there is more to life because of God's unmistakable imprint upon the intelligence of humans, the creation we see in the beauty of snowflakes, leaves and the design He gave to it.

What angered Paul  was that the Galatians were wishing to give up all of their freedom in faith in Christ for a few human and passing regulations.  Actually some of these laws were of the Old Testament and were no longer required. They have been fulfilled in Christ. ( part of the Ceremonial law) All that God requires is a faith in His Son now and a life that is pleasing to Him.  He tells them, " you are severed from Christ, you would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace." 5:4  People were trying to add human efforts to the simple truth that God saves alone , and that He saves by our believing in what Christ has done for us; and that when we believe we no longer have to worry about death any more.  " That which is of the born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John 3:6 

John also said in 8:32, " Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin....So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."  The Book of Galatians is our story of re-birth and faith.  We have been set free by our faith in Christ.  Now we are under His law and authority which is true freedom ( what we having been looking for since we were born....). All of our fears and things we are slaves to now ( addictions ....) are defeated forever.  We are set free to serve God and others .

Let me conclude with a quote from FF Bruce, Paul- Apostle of the Heart Set Free: " The law pronounced an explicit curse on all who failed to keep it in its entirety. ( Gal . 3:10).  The gospel ( good news) showed how men and women could be redeemed from that curse by faith in Christ, who by the manner of His death absorbed the curse in His own person."