Following Jesus Means Living in Freedom!

6th Sunday after Pentecost, 7/21/19
Galatians 5:1, 13-25


Following Jesus Means Living in Freedom!
I. Freedom from slavery to your sinful nature
II. Freedom for serving your neighbor in love


We’ve all witnessed it. You’re in the checkout line at the grocery store. In front of you is a young mother with what appears to be about a 3-year-old son. While she’s busy moving her food items from her cart to the checkout conveyor, her son grabs a candy bar from the rack at his side. She notices and quickly instructs him, “Put that candy bar back where you got it from.” But instead of complying, her son responds, “But I don’t want to.” And even though we know it’s a common response from children, our heart sinks a little. We hope his mother has the patience and the strength to correct him, because if he grows into the teenage years and beyond thinking that he can get away with non-compliance by simply stating, “I don’t want to,” he’s heading for a life of trouble.

And that’s because the flip side of saying, “I don’t want to do that,” is, “I’ll do whatever I want.”

I’ll do whatever I want. I’ll do as I please. That’s a fairly common attitude among far too many people, including adults, at times even among us. We want to call the shots. We want to decide what we’re going to do. We want to determine what’s best for us. And if someone has a problem with that, that’s too bad. It’s not their life.

I’ll live like I want to. At first that sounds very liberating. Imagine doing only what you want to do all day long. It almost sounds like heaven. Until you realize that’s exactly the way the little boy in the check-out line felt. The question to ask is, “What is it that you want to do?”

Asking that with Paul’s words before us this morning in our minds, we’d modify that question a little. Is what I want to do in keeping with my sinful nature or is it in keeping with my new life as a child of God?

Today’s worship theme speaks to us about that life as a child of God, as a disciple or follower of Jesus Christ. Paul’s point for us this morning is that following Jesus means living in freedom—a freedom from something and a freedom for something. Let’s see what those are as we ponder these words.

Part I.

A little more than six years ago our nation was stunned to hear the news that three young ladies had spent the previous decade imprisoned by their kidnapper in a house in Cleveland. The details of the abuse they suffered were beyond belief. These women were literally enslaved to their kidnapper in the worst way. But they were freed and we continue to pray that their recovery continues.

As heinous as that situation was for those three women, there is a worse slavery—worse, in that if left unchecked and unresolved, it leads to eternal slavery.

It’s slavery to your sinful nature. Paul says it like this: “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature.” Paul opens our text with the directive to stand firm in our freedom as we follow Jesus. But that doesn’t mean that we are free do whatever our sinful nature wants.

Do you realize how strong your sinful nature is? When we indulge our sinful nature, we’re tempted to think that’s real living, that we’re really living life free from all constraints. We’re only doing what we want to do no matter what anyone else tells us, even Jesus himself.

Listen to Paul describe what that life looks life: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”

But rather than really living life, such a life is leading us only away from our loving Savior. Paul states, “I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Do you see how powerful that sinful nature in you is and the results of indulging it?

So, if that’s the spiritual cancer that’s thriving within us, what’s the solution? Paul reminds us, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” By the power and working of the Holy Spirit, our sinful natures were crucified when he brought us to faith in Jesus as our Savior. At our baptisms our sinful natures were drowned. But that damning power still lives in us. And the Bible urges us to use the power of our baptisms every day to drown that sinful nature by daily repenting of sin and daily trusting in Jesus for forgiveness.

Following Jesus means living in freedom—the freedom from slavery to your sinful nature.

I read a review on a book that examines the abuse of children by members of the clergy. In it, it describes how some clergy members repeatedly confessed their sins of abuse, but they knew all along that they were powerless to stop indulging their sinful nature. What happened to their victims is reprehensible, and there’s no excuse for it whatsoever. But on the other side—the side of the perpetrators—imagine that feeling of near helplessness to overcome the urge to do what they knew was reprehensible.

Have you ever felt like that? I’m hoping and praying not to the extent that I just described, but I think we all know what that’s like. Recall Paul’s dirty laundry list of sins produced by the sinful nature. Sure, that list included sexual sins and sins of excess, but it also included “normal sins,” sins that people, even you and me—commit every day: “hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy.” Have you ever been such a person—hateful, envious, condescending, sinfully critical—and caught yourself? What did you do? You realized and confessed your sin and resolved not be that way again. But what happened? You were faced with a similar situation and you responded in the way you had resolved not to. That’s slavery to the sinful nature. What can you do about it? End the slavery by crucifying the sinful nature. Drown your Old Adam in the power of your baptism. Flee to the cross of Christ for forgiveness and receive the power of his resurrection to live in freedom—following Jesus. And then live in freedom—freedom from the power of your sinful nature which is overcome by the power of the risen Lord Jesus!

Part II.

Imagine this scenario (maybe it’s the way things actually are for you!). You have neighbors living on each side of you. One is—well—obnoxious. He’s loud. He’s rude to his wife and children. He lets his dog make use of your yard. He doesn’t take care of his home. And he parks his cars in front of your house.

On the other side of you lives the nicest guy in the world. He’s a model family man. His yard is pristine. His home is the envy of the neighborhood. If you need help with anything, he’s there for you.

Now, which of those two people do you want to imitate? That’s simple—the neighbor you admire.

But a better question is, “Which one is easier for you to love?” That’s an easy question to answer as well—the nice neighbor. In fact, you may go out of your way to do favors for him. If you notice his garage door is open and it’s 10:00 PM, you text him to make him aware of it.

But what if it’s the other neighbor’s garage door? You don’t even have his contact information. He would never notify you if your garage door was open. In fact, he’s so obtuse he probably wouldn’t even notice. So why bother doing something nice for him? Why even consider the words of our God which Paul quotes here, “Love your neighbor as yourself”?

Out of love for Christ, that’s why. Paul states, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” The Holy Spirit has made you his temple. He lives in you and he gives you the power to produce the fruits of faith. One of those fruits is loving the unlovable. Think about that. You have the power in you to love people who are unlovable. And when you show that unlovable person Christian love, you are living in freedom. Your sinful nature is tugging at you, trying to get you to treat them like they treat you. But the new person that you are in Christ empowers you to love them unconditionally. It’s living like the beautiful person that Jesus created you to be. It’s living like the person you want to see in the mirror of your life each day. It’s living like the person that others admire and want to imitate. It’s loving others the way Christ does. And when we love others that way, others see Jesus through us.

And that’s following Jesus! Following Jesus means living in freedom—freedom for serving your neighbor in love.

“Treat others the way you want to be treated.” I’m sure you’ve heard that saying many times. Even people who aren’t Christians say it and try to live by it.

But what if others malign you? What is they cheat and steal from you? What if they’re looking to make your life as miserable as possible? What if they’re trying to marginalize and remove you?

The enemies of Jesus did all those to him and more. They even murdered him on the cross. And while he hung there, what did he do? He prayed for their forgiveness. He loved them to the end.

He loves you to the end. In spite of the fact that our commitment to follow Jesus is spotty at best, Jesus still loves us to the end. In fact, each day he assures us that his death on the cross forgives us for our failed attempts to follow him and truly love others. He loves us to the end. And his love empowers our lives to produce fruits of faith.

So, be fruitful by serving your neighbor in love! That’s freedom—freedom in Christ. And that’s following Christ. May you follow him more closely this week as you freely love others! Amen.