Freedom: A Call to Prayer

"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." -Galatians 5:1, NIV

This verse (and all of Galatians 5-6, as we will see) speaks of freedom, which is a word near and dear to my American-born heart. When we as Americans hear the word "freedom," our hearts ring like the Liberty Bell with nationalistic pride and we say things like "I can do what I want!" or "I have rights and can exercise them!" And to be honest, there is an element of that in this passage. 

We are, in a sense, able to do as we like and can exercise rights...that honor God, that is. Christ freed us for a freedom that goes deeper than our nation's sense. Think of the 21 Christians that were recently killed by the Islamic State (ISIS). The Islamic State doesn't allow freedoms like the United States' Constitution, so how is Galatians 5:1 relevant to Christians in those positions? Are they freed for freedom?

Most certainly.

The freedom here is a freedom from sin, which enslaves us (5:1). An enslaved person lives a life gratifying the desires of a sinful nature (5:16-17), which looks like such: sexual immorality, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies (the Bible said this, not me!) and "the like."

The problem we find here is that people enslaved to lives like the list I just mentioned are headed to Hell. They will not inherit the Kingdom of God or any benefit from Christ (5:18-21). And yet, isn't this all of us in our natural state? Aren't we all guilty of having lived at some point for one or most of those things (and if you're saying no, you are lying and that falls into the "the like" category)? Have we not all been enslaved to that life? Have we not all been "contrary to the Spirit?"

This is why Christ must free us! We were directly opposed to the Spirit (which is God, so we opposed GOD) until we were freed for freedom in the Spirit of God through the death and resurrection and sacrifice of the Son of God by the hand of the Father God. We have had the gratification of the sinful nature replaced with a desire and goal to gratify the Spirit, and this brings a new list of things: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (5:22-26)! Our sinful nature, our enslavement, was put on the cross with Christ! He took it for us!

So now we live in the Spirit. That is why we bear with one another, rebuke one another and fight through sin's last grasps at our souls together (6:1-8). This is why we love one another (5:13). This is why we teach each other (6:6). We do good without ceasing, even looking for opportunities to do so (6:9-10)!

We also must stand with those who face persecution. They may have the same spiritual freedom as us, but they do not have the other freedoms we enjoy. Paul says twice in Chapter Six (v. 12 & 17) to be with those in persecution/have sympathy towards a persecuted state in a person's life. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and the Islamic State is just the latest group of people that are out to destroy the people of God, the "people of the Cross."

So, how can we do this? Some great people that I respect dearly have started 21martyrs.com, a website devoted to ways that we can stand with our brothers and sisters in IS-controlled countries. Specifically, they are praying at 7:03am until 7:14am (times and more explained here) for ourselves to take back up our crosses, to pray for Him to work through us in this world, to pray for His restoration of everything to how it is supposed to be, for our hearts to be looking for opportunities to "do good" toward people, as Galatians 6 said, and more.

Also, please join me and many others with a moment of silence tomorrow, Sunday, February 22, 2015, while we pray for churches in persecution to stand strong for Christ, to continue being a witness for Him, and for our hearts to break with them. Below, I have placed a video to help with that time of reflection and prayer. I urge you, Christian, fellow person of the Cross: do not abandon these opportunities to live out Galatians 5-6. We have been freed for freedom; let us now live in that freedom.



Here's a link if this video doesn't work: 21 Martyrs Video

The Thrill of Victory: Meditations and Thoughts on NASCAR and Jesus

So, this weekend is the Daytona 500. Last night, I spent the evening on the couch, watching the qualifying races for the Great American Race on Sunday. This got me thinking: everything good in the world points to Christ. NASCAR is not, by definition, sinful, and so therefore, there should be evidences of grace (of God) in the sport. What can I think of in NASCAR that shows God in His general revelation? What traits of Him can I see in it? Here’s a list I quickly have jotted down:

1. The drivers are made in His image, and thus have all of His traits that all humans show. Last night, I saw His grace and patience being shown as the cars moved about in the pack. I saw His wrath after the race, when Danica Patrick approached Denny Hamlin about wrecking her. I saw His creativity in the paint schemes and the sponsor logos and the grass in the infield. 

2. The easy thing to point to is the race analogy from 2 Timothy 4:7, where Paul is speaking to Timothy about “finishing the race, keeping the faith.” A NASCAR race is a long, arduous test of skill, patience, mental fortitude and adrenaline—much like our lives! 

3. There is a joy in victory, you know? I watched Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jimmie Johnson leap from their cars in victory last night, thrilled to win a race that didn’t even matter for anything beyond qualifying places in the race on Sunday. There was no money, and no championship points were awarded. Jimmie Johnson did not even improve his starting place for Sunday’s race. However, I think there is something in humans that makes us just enjoy victory, and I think that comes from a longing for the victory over sin and death in this world by the Savior of the world. Fortunately for us, we don’t have to wait for a finish line to know the final standings. 1 Corinthians 15 speaks of the victory we have in Christ over sin and death now, and Revelation reminds us that while sin and death were wrecked out of the race back in AD 33, the checkered flag won’t fly until sometime in the future, when the Champion, the Lord of the Universe, will ride in on some real horsepower and finish the race that He started long ago. Now, that is something to celebrate!

I don't know if you watch NASCAR or not, but what I do know is that He can be found in nearly everything. Here's something to try out today: think of something that you enjoy. Maybe it's a hobby, book, sport, movie or song. Then spend a few minutes and see if you can tie your life experiences back to some truth about God and His Word. I'd love to hear what you come up with!

Puritan Musings: Sovereignty and Success?

I am currently reading through Michael A.G. Haykin's book "To honour God: The Spirituality of Oliver Cromwell" for one of my classes at seminary. Each week throughout the semester, I am supposed to read a portion of this book, which is a collection of Cromwell's writings, and have a small reflection upon something that he says. Therefore, I have decided to share these "Puritan Musings" with you. They won't be very long, but I hope that perhaps someone may get something from them.
  

Today, my musings upon Oliver Cromwell’s writings come from two sources: his letter to the Honourable William Lenthall in June of 1645 (pg. 53), and the other from his letter to Sir Thomas Fairfax on March 7, 1646 (pg. 59). Both letters contain words about someone giving God credit for their achievements. The former is talking about a brave soldier, and how this man gave God all glory and honor for his battlefield heroics, despite the fact that this was a rather brave and skilled man. The latter speaks directly about Cromwell himself, as he admits to giving God the glory for as many things as he can. 

I have long pondered on, say, a professional fighter giving thanks and props to God for the knockout he just scored. Did God really give him that knockout? If I say yes, then it almost seems God is playing favorites in the ring, but to say no denies that He is sovereign and in control of even the most trivial of matches. That is obviously false, and both men in the Cromwell reading knew that. He is a sovereign God; He deserves honor in all good that we do. 

What successes are being given to us by God that we need to give Him credit for? How can we better give Him the glory for what we do, win or loss?

Puritan Musings: Declaring His Works for His Honor

I am currently reading through Michael A.G. Haykin's book "To honour God: The Spirituality of Oliver Cromwell" for one of my classes at seminary. Each week throughout the semester, I am supposed to read a portion of this book, which is a collection of Cromwell's writings, and have a small reflection upon something that he says. Therefore, I have decided to share these "Puritan Musings" with you. They won't be very long, but I hope that perhaps someone may get something from them.
 

I am currently in Timothy Beougher’s Personal Evangelism class at Southern Baptist Seminary, and in that class, we talk about our motivations for the spreading of the Gospel, among other things related to evangelism. After all, the entire class is about sharing the Gospel with those who need it. Today, as I read Oliver Cromwell’s letter to his cousin Mrs. St. John, I was struck by a phrase: “Yet, to honour my God by declaring what he hath done for my soul, in this I am confident, and I will be so” (pg. 47). 

How often do we ponder on how we may honor God? How often do we view evangelism, or conversation in general, or anything we do in our day-to-day lives as being for His honor and glory? That is our primary focus, as Cromwell was right in stating, so why are we not more confident in doing so? Why I am not? What more motivation do I need to share the truth (or you could say “declare!”) than to do so for His honor? What a noble task the Christian has! It is our job to proclaim and declare the glory of the God of the universe, our Lord and Savior!

My hope is that I may grow in this manner. I pray that I become more confident in my purpose of bringing Him glory and honor, and that an out-pouring of that is that I would boldly declare His name whenever He prompts. I pray that I might tell of what He has done for my soul.