In Galatians 5:1 the Apostle Paul
writes, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” As Americans,
liberty is something that is very important to us. It is a privilege for which many have sacrificed their
lives. But as important as our physical liberty is to all of us, this is not
the kind of liberty Paul was writing about. He was writing of a much greater
liberty - the liberty that comes from Jesus Christ.
It is possible for those who enjoy
the liberties secured by God and government, to still be in bondage to their
passions and sinful appetites. But thankfully, the same God who providentially
grants the physical freedoms we enjoy as Americans has also secured for us a freedom
from sin through the sacrifice of His Son.
"The Gospel is good news, not because it gives a moral standard by which to live, but because it gives us the life lived by the standard of righteousness, Jesus Christ."
This freedom is extended to all of
us through the Gospel. The Gospel is good news, not because it gives a moral
standard by which to live, but because it gives us the life lived by the
standard of righteousness, Jesus Christ. Christ completely and perfectly lived
a life that we cannot live. He then died a death in our place, and through His
death and resurrection, He extended to us the righteousness of God.
For many, however, the simplicity
of this great exchange is missed by a misrepresentation of the Gospel. For
example some have sought to misuse Scripture to the point of bringing those who
have been made free back into bondage. Some, perhaps with noble motives, have
reduced the Gospel to a formula or plan. The unintended consequences of a “plan
of salvation” may lead those who hear this message to believe that they are the
agents of their own redemption. Excluding Christ from a salvation that He alone
secures and grants is a gross violation of the power of the Gospel.
"...a billboard that reads “Obey Acts 2:38” may be helpful in some instances, but eventually these formulations put the intellect and ability of man at the center of the salvation story."
The reduction of the Gospel to a
formulation of “following the Roman road” (a tool designed to lead people to
helpful verses concerning salvation in the book of Romans) or a billboard that
reads “Obey Acts 2:38” may be helpful in some instances, but eventually these
formulations put the intellect and ability of man at the center of the
salvation story. The focus should
be on the magnificent, glorious gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
"The only plan of Scripture has God at the center and not man."
"The only plan of Scripture has God at the center and not man."
Put another way, if one is smart
enough to follow the plan, then what are we to make of Paul’s declaration in
Ephesians 2:8-9? “For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works lest anyone should boast.” If
it is according to a plan, then I should be commended for my ability to obey
the plan. There would be a place for my boasting. But God’s plan is not about
me, it is all about Jesus. The only plan of Scripture has God at the center and
not man.
Consider Ephesians 1:4-6 “According
as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by
Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the
praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved.” It was God who purposed in Himself before the foundation of the world
to save us. So may our words echo those of the Apostle in Galatians 6:14; “But
far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” My liberty was
secured in Christ.
Thank God that salvation is not
based on intellect that would
exclude some, nor is it based on talent, money or ability, which would exclude
many. Salvation is based solely on what Christ has accomplished, according to
God’s plan, not ours! In this
liberty we should rejoice. As Jesus declared in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets
you free, you will be free indeed.”
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