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Galatians 5:1b
It was for freedom that Christ set us free…(Galatians 5:1a)
The antagonistic cry of the atheist rings clear in the ear of the Christian: “Christians can’t have fun; God is a buzz-kill!” I think perhaps most of us have heard this accusation levied against Christianity and felt its sting. Satan often employs this method to distract us from what really matters. He tends to bring our focus onto the exclusionary aspects of submission to God and he is quite successful. Christianity does contain prohibitions that might seem at times to be restrictive and even stifling.
These are exactly that though, distractions. The task that we face is to refocus our attention on the goal. What truly matters is that we are in service to the great God and Father of all mankind; that service which is steeped in benefits beyond the anesthesia of drunkenness, debauchery, and “highs” Satan has to offer.
The Galatians were struggling with the concept of freedom and Paul exhorts them to remember their higher calling. Christ sets us FREE! But with that freedom comes the responsibility to not fall back under the spell of Satan and his bits and baubles. We are likewise cautioned against using this freedom to discourage others (5:13). While we reflect upon the independence of the United States this week, let us also meditate on the freedom we have in Christ: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free…”
