Featured Image: Jesus guides the pilgrim, taking him by the hand and leading him along the narrow path.
I want to encourage you to consider the things or thoughts that are holding you back from progressing in your spiritual journey. This post will focus on freedom from “religious” human created rules and explain the process of santification. Scripture passages from Berean Standard Bible available online at https://biblehub.com/bsb . Images created using Night Cafe Studio and Canva Pro. Focal passage: Galatians 5:1-6
Freedom in Christ
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.
2Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4You who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
5But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
His Grace gives us freedom to live for Him as His Holy Spirit guides and empowers us!
Background/Context
Paul writes his letter to the believers at Galatia because he has heard that they are being troubled and led astray. Chapter 1 verse 6 explains:
6I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ.
Paul responds to a serious distortion of Christ’s Gospel! What is this distortion? Legalism. Individuals were informing believers that they needed to comply with multiple Old Covenant concepts (circumcision, obedience to law, etc.) The issue is that obedience to laws was being placed over grace. Theses teachers were adding requirements to the Gospel. What “requirements” do modern religious people add to the Good News? Why is this dangerous?
Paul responds with strong words! He explains his background in Chapters 1-2 as a “zealous persecutor” and “traditions of my fathers.” He confronts Peter for his hypocritical behavior 2:11-13. Even Barnabas and others were engaging in mistreating others. They were showing preference to the Jewish believers over the Gentiles.
The crowd turns on Jesus. They wanted a political and military messiah, not a spiritual deliverer. Do we really see Jesus as the Gospels portray Him?
Religious Rules Vrs Sanctification
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”
― C.S. Lewis
Paul is clear that depending upon circumcision or any other “tradition” to be justified before God is counter to Christ’s Gospel. Being overly religious in the sense of trying to be holy by obeying a set of rules works against Christ’s Gospel! Holiness and righteousness come through relationship with Christ, the working of Holy Spirit in our lives as we walk with Him in faith, obedience, and dependence. The term for this life long process is sanctification. Got Questions breaks this term down for us into three phases:
To summarize, “sanctification” is a translation of the Greek word hagiasmos, meaning “holiness” or “a separation.” In the past, God granted us justification, a once-for-all, positional holiness in Christ. In the present, God guides us to maturity, a practical, progressive holiness. In the future, God will give us glorification, a permanent, ultimate holiness.
These three phases of sanctification separate the believer from the penalty of sin (justification), the power of sin (maturity), and the presence of sin (glorification).
Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/sanctification.html
Oswald Chambers elaborates:
Sanctification means that Jesus gives me his patience, his love, his holiness, his faith, his purity, and his godliness. All these are manifested in and through every sanctified soul.
Sanctification isn’t drawing the power to be holy from Jesus; it’s drawing his own holiness from him. It’s having the very same holiness that was manifested in him manifested in me.
Source: “The Life Side of Sanctification” devotional
Effective, Saving Faith
Chambers reminds us that sanctification is about relationship not power. Jesus gives us Himself–He is the author and perfecter of our faith as the author of Hebrews reminds us in Chapter 12:2
Commentary from Got Questions: emphasis mine
“The Greek word translated “perfecter” in Hebrews 12:2 appears only this one time in the New Testament. It means literally “completer” or “finisher” and speaks of bringing something to its conclusion. Putting the two words together, we see that Jesus, as God, both creates and sustains our faith.
We know that saving faith is a gift from God, not something we come up with on our own (Ephesians 2:8-9), and that gift comes from Christ, its creator. He is also the sustainer of our faith, meaning that true saving faith cannot be lost, taken away or given away. This is a source of great comfort to believers, especially in times of doubt and spiritual struggles. Christ has created our faith and He will watch over it, care for it, and sustain it.
It is important for us to understand that God in Christ is not only the creator and sustainer of our saving faith, but He is also the sustainer of our daily walk and the finisher of our spiritual journey.”
Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/author-perfecter-faith.html
Love makes relationship possible and enduring! Consider two people who love each other–there is a freedom that exists to be vulnerable, intimate, and true because there is mutual trust and acceptance.
Rules don’t change hearts
What changes hearts and renews us? Paul answers in 2:11-21
19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. 20I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, Christ died for nothing.
Have you heard someone preach, something similar to “you need to get your life right then come to Christ”? I’ve heard church people tell others “stop sinning and come to Christ”, or “you need to confess your sins and get baptized to be saved” followed by a list of sins to avoid/repent, etc. If someone waits to come to Christ until they are no longer sinning, then they will never come to Christ!
Baptism is a reflection of inner transformation/new life
Does baptism wipe your sins away? This is a belief based on a literal interpretation of Acts 2:38 and a particular Greek word “eis” taken out of context. For a detailed explanation:
https://www.gotquestions.org/baptism-Acts-2-38.html
John the Baptist welcomes all who come for repentance and to prepare for Christ’s arrival.
Baptism is a beautiful symbol of new life in Christ! Baptism is an act of faith and obedience, but not a magical act. What does baptism mean? I highlight the key components:
Christian baptism is the means by which a person makes a public profession of faith and discipleship.
In the waters of baptism, a person says, wordlessly, “I confess faith in Christ; Jesus has cleansed my soul from sin, and I now have a new life of sanctification.”
Christian baptism illustrates, in dramatic style, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
At the same time, it also illustrates our death to sin and new life in Christ. As the sinner confesses the Lord Jesus, he dies to sin (Romans 6:11) and is raised to a brand-new life (Colossians 2:12).
Being submerged in the water represents death to sin, and emerging from the water represents the cleansed, holy life that follows salvation.
Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-baptism.html
Baptisms are my favorite aspects of Christian fellowship. I once was given the opportunity to baptize due to my pastor having a back injury. It was a special moment for me to be able to serve the congregation and the child. Not sure who was more nervous, me or the kid! We both got wet, and all went well.
Down in the refreshing river: dead to sin, alive in Christ the man arises to live for Christ with the promise of eternity with God!
Following Christ is Freedom to be in Fellowship
Repenting and trusting in Christ is a journey that we walk in life with others through fellowship, accountability, and interdependent relationships with other like minded believers.
I encourage fellowship in this post:
Walking in Fellowship
Fellowship and corporate worship is a powerful antidote to the isolation and self-centering tendencies of our culture.
Repentance happens as we turn our minds and hearts away from sin and toward God’s marvelous grace. It’s His Righteousness and Mercy that calls us to come forward to be made anew!
Repentance is a process
Coming to Christ doesn’t mean that you will cease to struggle with sin. This is a false promise straight from the enemy. God transforms our nature in a process that continues from the moment of conversion to when He delivers us before Him (death/return of Christ).
Got Questions summarizes:
In summary, repentance is a change of mind. But the full biblical understanding of repentance goes beyond that.
In relationship to salvation, repentance is a change of mind from an embrace of sin to rejection of sin and from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ.
Such repentance is something only God can enable (John 6:44; Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25). Therefore, true biblical repentance will always result in a change of behavior.
Maybe not instantly, but inevitably and progressively.
Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/repentance-change-mind-turn-sin.html
Consider the terms “not instantly,” “inevitably,” and “progressively.” God works in our lives to make us more like Christ. How does God accomplish this work? Paul explains his struggle with sin (Romans 7) and Holy Spirit’s role in helping us: Romans 8:5-11
5Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, 7because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God.
9You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.
Holy Spirit gives us life through Jesus Christ! When we walk with Holy Spirit, He leads us away from sin (rebellion) and into life with God. Holy Spirit is God’s Presence that empowers us to live with, for, and through God!
Jesus greets the formerly sick man as he enters eternity. He walks with us in our walk of faith. You’re not alone!
True Freedom: Adopted Children of God
Freedom from the law of sin and death comes as God adopts us. God brings us into new spiritual life as His children. Paul explains in Galatians 4:
Sons and Heirs
1What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he is the owner of everything. 2He is subject to guardians and trustees until the date set by his father.
3So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world. 4But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons. 6And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.
Paul explains how we are “grafted in” and “connected to God’s love” in Romans 11 and Romans 8. We are free as God’s Children to walk with Him in faith, grace, and love. Our lives therefore reflect Him as opposed to someone burdened with religious rules and self-righteousness! May you shine forth His grace, truth, hope, and live a Gospel centered life!
Words of Grace & Hope 