So the apostle Paul proclaims in Galatians 5:13 that we’re called to be FREE. But it is not freedom for our own self indulgence; rather, we are set free so that we can become servants–or if you take the actual greek, slaves.
Set free to be slaves. This jarring juxtaposition of words, freedom and slavery, was the focus of this past Sunday’s sermon. How can freedom be associated with servanthood and selflessness and sacrifice? These words seem to violate our self autonomy.
Here’s a quote from Sunday’s message: “If God were to declare to a fish– ‘Do not use your freedom to climb onto shore where you cannot breathe and you will surely die. Instead, go and swim the seas and eat shrimp’ — would the fish say ‘How restrictive! How oppressive !’ Of course not. God is simply releasing the fish to do what it was made to do. What if it’s really the case that we’re not made to indulge ourselves? What if it’s true that we are freest when we forget about ourselves and we stop worshipping our own needs and we serve one another in love? Could it be that God is actually setting us free when he gives us the call to be servants?”
So what do you think? In your experience, have you seen this to be true– where indulging yourself is actually a form of imprisonment, and loving and serving others a way of liberation?
Feel free to comment on this, or on anything else on this past Sunday’s message.
God bless
PD
Posted by odpcsermons 