Saturday February 21, 2015

Read Galatians 5-6

Freedom! The world thinks of freedom as the ability and the right to do as one pleases. The world thinks of freedom as the ability the right to indulge ones desires with no restraints or boundaries.

Biblically speaking freedom is the removal of the rules and regulations that once bound us. It is the freedom to serve God and each other in love. Freedom is the ability and the “right” to worship God, to draw near to Him and to serve His children, our brothers and sisters in love. The more we love God and worship Him and the more we serve one another then the more we enjoy and are blessed by our freedom in Christ. 

In fact, we are told in 5:13 that we are called to be free. But we must never use our freedom to indulge our sinful nature. We must never think that we are free in Christ to do as the world does. Freedom is neither the ability nor the right to do as we please. Our freedom shows itself in loving service of the brotherhood of believers. Our sinfulness, not our freedom, shows itself in the indulgence of our sinful desires.

In fact, if we use our freedom to serve in love then we are fulfilling the law because the law is summed up in Leviticus 19:18 – Love your neighbour as yourself. Even Jesus himself stated that loving God and loving one’s neighbour are the two greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-34).  He stated categorically that...

Matt 22:40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:40).

You and I are free in Christ Jesus. We are not bound by rules and regulations and we are not condemned by our failure and inability to keep such rules and regulations. They were dealt with at the cross.

You and I are free in Christ Jesus to serve one another in love. This can happen in a number of different and diverse ways throughout the week but most poignantly, it is expressed as we gather together on the Lord’s day to worship our Lord and Saviour and to edify/bless each other. Church takes on a whole new dynamic and excitement when believers decide to use their freedom to sacrificially serve the brotherhood in love. Everything changes when a believer renounces church consumerism and sets their heart, mind, soul and strength to serving the body. Church gains a new vitality when individuals die to self and consider the needs of others as being greater than their own.

Prayer:

Use the day’s reading notes and Bible passage to pray meaningfully:

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Ask the Lord to be growing you and your congregation in freedom and grace. Pray that this freedom and grace would show itself in loving service of the saints and heartfelt outreach to the lost.

· Pray that the student ministers in Myanmar’s Reformed Bible College would be growing in grace and freedom. Pray that as they study and learn that God would equip them for ministry. Pray that these men and their families would see great growth in the Kingdom of God.

 Discussion & Reflection

1. How can cell groups use their freedom to serve each other in love?

2. What does it mean to serve one another in love?

3. How would your church change if each person loved others as they loved themselves?

4. What affect does non-attendance and church hopping have on using our freedom to serve each other in love?