Many people consider Christianity – and
others have made it to look – like a prison. Like a series of rules and rites
that somebody has to keep. Fortunately, this view is very far from true. Jesus
Christ didn’t come to put our lives under a yoke of rules and ordinances, but
to make us free from these and from sin. As the Word says in Colossians 2:13-15
:
Colossians 2:13-15
"And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of
the way, nailing it to His cross. And having spoiled principalities and powers,
He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."
What happened on the cross was not humiliation but a
triumph. On it our Redeemer triumphed against the principalities and the rulers
of this world, with first the chief prince of this world (John 12:31), the
devil. On it, He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances, all the
"do" and "do not" that were against us. And Paul explains
it further:
Colossians 2:16-23
"So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or in respect of a festival
or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to
come, but the body is of Christ. Let no one beguile you of your reward in false
humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he has
not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the Head, from
which all the body, by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered,
increases with the increase of God. Therefore, if you died with Christ from the rudiments of the
world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to
ordinances - "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle," which all
are to perish with the using - according to the commandments and doctrines of
men? These
things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in will religion and humility, and
neglecting of the body, not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh."
(NKJV-KJV)
Is there somebody that criticises you for festivals,
food and rites? Have you probably concluded from what others have told you that
Christianity is a series of ordinances, rules and rituals? Do you probably
believe that to be a good Christian you have to do this and that every
Wednesday and Friday and the so and so every Sunday? If you have heard and
believed things like these, let me tell you that they are nothing else than
commandments and doctrines of men. Nobody has the right to judge you for food,
festivals or something similar. Nobody has the right to tell you that you are
not a good Christian because you didn’t keep the so and so abstinence from food
or the such and such ritual. All these "are a shadow of things to
come". All these were part of what Christ blotted out with His triumph on
the cross. He made us free from these and from sin. Do you still feel
condemnation for the so and so sin that happened sometime in the past? If this
was committed when you were not a Christian or if it happened while you were a
Christian but you have confessed it to God, HE HAS FORGIVEN IT AND FORGOTTEN
IT. DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS FORGOTTEN.
Of course take your lesson but don’t bring it to your mind as it was never
cleansed, as Christ’s blood was never shed for it. His blood has cleansed you
from this and it cleanses you from all sin. As I John 1:7 says:
I John 1:7
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship
with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanses us from all sin"
And
again Colossians 1:14
"In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins"
Do you feel weak? Do you feel that your flesh is very
strong? Do you want, like Paul, to say:
Romans 7:24-25
"O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I
thank God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself
serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin."
"Who will deliver me from this body of
death?" Paul asks, to give the reply immediately:
Romans 8:1-2
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,
who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has
made me free from the law of sin and death."
The law not of the letter but of the spirit of life in
Christ Jesus, has made us free from the law of sin and death. We are free NOW!There is no
condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus! And again Paul says:
Galatians 5:1
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which
Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again
with a yoke of bondage."
As the Galatians that tried to return to the law, so
also some Christian denominations today, preach a Christianity full of
ordinances, from which however Christ has delivered us. Let’s stand fast
therefore in the liberty by which He has made us free. He has delivered us from
sin (Romans 6:18). We are righteous, sited in the heavenlies NOW (Ephesians
2:1-7)! This didn’t happen because of our works. This does not depend on our
performance. This is solely the fruit of the triumph of Jesus Christ on the
cross. Let’s not think even for a moment that we could gain through our works
or achievements what only the blood of Christ made possible: our justification
before God, our re-birth, our cleansing from every sin and our salvation from
the law of death and sin.
And passing to the words of the Lord in John 8:
John 8:31-36
"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed on Him, "If you abide in
My word, you are My disciples indeed. "And you shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him, "We are
Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you
say, `You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly,
I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. "And a slave does not
abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be
free indeed."
A man can be really free ONLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
Nobody else can make him free from the domination of the body of death that
Paul mentioned. Christ is the only liberator. Wherever His spirit is there is
also liberty says the Word (II Corinthians 3:17). And this Spirit is in you! As
Galatians 4:6 says:
Galatians 4:6
"And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit
of His Son into your hearts, crying out Abba Father"
and Colossians 1:26-27
"the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now
has been revealed to His saints. To whom God willed to make known what are the
riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Christ the liberator, the hope of glory is in you
(Colossians 1:27)! You are free NOW!
John 8:36
"Therefore if the
Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
Apart however from those who have made Christianity to
look like a sum of ordinances, rules and rituals, there is the other side as
well, that should also be avoided. At this side we have those who use freedom
as an excuse for sin: "Am I not a Christian? Am I not saved by grace? Has
Christ not made me free? Then it is fine to do whatever I want". In this
category we have those who claim that they are Christians, yet the way they
live is almost no different than the way those who don’t know Christ live. When
the people of the world see them they feel confusion and wonder what difference
really makes to be a Christian. Against this dangerous way of thinking and
living, Paul warns:
Galatians 5:13
"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the
flesh, but through love serve one another."
And
Peter repeats in I Peter 2:15-16
"For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence
the ignorance of foolish men - as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for
MALICIOUSNESS, but as bondservants of God."
Though we are free, we should not use our freedom as
an opportunity for the flesh, as a cloak for maliciousness. As Paul puts it in
Romans 6:
Romans 6:15-18
"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you
present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey,
whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But
God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the
heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves
of righteousness."
A man is a
slave of the master he obeys. Will we again obey to sin - to what Christ gave
His life to make us free from? "CERTAINLY NOT" is Paul’s
answer. And he continues:
Romans 6:20-23
"For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to
righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now
ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free
from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and
the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
It is wrong to believe that there is no problem if we
give some place to sin. There is a wage for this, "and the wages of sin is
death BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD" And as
Galatians 6:7-8 repeats:
Galatians 6:7-8
"Be don’t deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that he
will also reap. He that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;
but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting"
To conclude: let’s therefore "not use
liberty as an opportunity excuse to the flesh but (let’s) through love serve
one another."