Freedom in Bondage

Dear Kids,

Galatians 5:1. 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.

Many places in the Bible tell us that we are to be slaves of Christ. Why then does today’s verse say that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free? Is this a contradiction? How can you be both free and a slave?

Before a person gets married he or she has certain restrictions on relationships with members of the opposite sex. It is important to be very careful about sharing too much emotionally and certainly physically with the other person. Because of these constraints there are guidelines that you must set for yourself. You should surround yourself with other people so you are not alone, be very careful about your actions, and weigh your words carefully so as not to make any commitments that you can’t keep. Along with these limitations there is also a freedom during the dating process. When you are not connecting as you know you should, it is appropriate to part ways and keep searching for the special one that you want to spend your life with. You are not “stuck” with this person permanently.

Eventually you will find the love of your life and you will get married. You will now be bound to this individual “until death do you part.” Entering into this special relationship ends much of the freedom that you had before, but it also brings new freedoms. No longer do you need to be careful about being alone. You are released to share each other’s company emotionally and physically without restraint. A different kind of bondage has brought a better type of freedom.

This principle is true over and over again. If you want to have the freedom to run in a marathon, you need to restrain from eating the wrong foods and give up certain activities in order to have the time to train. If you want financial freedom you will need to give up excess spending and save your money. If you want your fingers to fly freely over the piano keys, then you need to practice. Over and over again this is the case. The bondage of discipline brings freedom.

By subjecting ourselves to God and His ways, we are freed from sin’s tyranny and the law that people in the Old Testament needed to follow so carefully. In today’s verse the Apostle Paul is warning Christians not to fall into the old kind of slavery of the law, but to remain yoked to Christ, enjoying the privileges His Lordship over our lives brings.

If you free yourselves from physical training, you will fall over before the end of the race. If you spend all your money instead of saving, you will become bound by debt. And if you separate yourself from Christ, you will be mired in sin. The choice is yours. What kind of freedom do you want?

Love,

Mama