Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Freedom :
Participation in Decision-making
Galatians 5:1-6Daniel Thomas
Orlando MTC
1. 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.
Our mother country, India,
gained freedom from British domination on August 15, 1947 by the tireless and
peaceful resistance of Mahatma Gandhi, known as the Father of India. Even
though India is a free country today, majority of the masses do not experience
the true freedom. Let us hope and pray that the day is near, not far, for
every citizen to enjoy his/her fair share of the fruit of freedom assured by
the constitution of India.
People love their liberty,
freedom from, as well as their freedom to - freedom to pursue one's
dreams, freedom from a forced religion, freedom to live according to one's
belief. At the same time, how many of us understand the true meaning of freedom?
The New
Testament presents true liberty as serving Christ, and emphasizes that we
can be free only when we voluntarily give ourselves to another (Rom. 6:18).
In Christ - and because He broke the chains of the Devil on the cross -
we have been liberated from the slavery of sin. Contrary to the popular
opinion, this freedom is not a license to do whatever one desires. This
inevitably leads to enslavement to one's own passions as is evident from the
recent mass killings of the innocent victims around the globe. Rather the
Bible defines freedom as the ability and willingness to deny one's self, ego,
to deny one's desires in the interest of pleasing and glorifying our Creator.
We have to exercise this liberty in love and service to the needy.
True freedom from sin comes when we live with Christ as Lord over our
lives.
Jesus is described as the 'friend
of sinners' (Matt. 11:19). He liberates us from sin's deadly bondage
so we can enjoy a life-giving, intimate, and eternal relationship with God.
Of course, our release doesn't leave us free of responsibility
irrespective of who we are and the position we hold. Rather,
our freedom in Christ enables us to fulfill our created purpose - to love
and to serve God and others around us wholeheartedly.
PRAYER
Loving Father, thank You for
liberating us from the bondage of sin. We pray that Your Holy Spirit
empower us to live a life that will please You and glorify Your kingdom. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
When we accept Christ, we become
truly free.