Word for The Day - Christian education forum - August 19

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For freedom Christ has set us free
"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." Galatians 5:1
Sometimes we ask ourselves what we can do to gain God’s favor or how we can be a true Christian.  Sometimes we get bogged down in a quandary about God's will. If we are indebted to certain things and faced with insecurity, Paul is telling us not to be burdened “by a yoke of slavery” because Christ has set us Free.
In his letter to Galatians Paul is reminding them that it has been by grace that they have been saved and set free, not by their works. Even today many Christians will try to gain favor with God through their deeds. If we take upon ourselves the yoke of the law and aim to use it to achieve our own righteousness before God or if try to earn dividends/favor from Christ through our own investment or any other outward act of obedience, we have submitted to a yoke of slavery and our relation to Christ is nullified. We will also alienate God and will fall away from His Grace (Galatians 5: 2-4).
God does not want us to be indebted to any law or actions to receive his grace. We cannot do anything to earn or deserve God's love. God simply gives it to us out of grace, as a gift, through his Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:5 states “But by faith we eagerly await through the spirit the righteousness for which we hope.” Our lives began by a work of the Spirit and our lives go on by the work of the Spirit. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." Faith is not merely a past decision; it is an ongoing way of waiting for the hope of righteousness. Paul tells us that “the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

Let us not become a slave to insecurity or indebtedness, instead, let us stand firm in God's promises.The experience of freedom, including the freedom of eternal life, can only be enjoyed as we depend on the grace of God. Slavery happens when we fall or walk away from the power of grace. The Christian life is a life of freedom because it is lived in the power of the Spirit. Christ has set us Free, free from sin, from death, and from any requirements to earn God's favor. Since Christ has set us free, don't become a slave, but stand firm in God's promises. Let us live our lives in freedom, free from the guilt of our sins, free to serve our God and express our faith through love.
Prayer: Our God and our Father we thank you for setting us free. Thy Grace is sufficient in our lives. Merciful Father helps us not be a slave to anything in this world rather help us to live our lives in faith and express our faith through Love. Amen
Thought for the day:  His divine strength is proportional to the needs of our life’s journey
Joseph Mathew, Long Island MTC, NY

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