Let Freedom Ring Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Transcription

1 Introduction Let Freedom Ring Galatians 5:1, Gary L. Bagley Chapel by the Sea Presbyterian Church Fort Myers Beach, Florida June 30, 2013 When they were growing up, one of my children s favorite songs was Let there Be Peace on Earth and Let It Begin with Me. As we celebrate our nation s Independence Day this week, it will be important for us to remember that if we want to change the world, it will indeed have to begin within each of us. The Apostle Paul s words today provide directions for inner peace, which is necessary for promoting world peace. Willie Nelson said his heroes have always been cowboys. A few of mine were, too, along with athletes, musicians, a family physician, three U. S. Presidents (Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and John Kennedy), and a few notable ministers. In the wake of much corruption in big business and politics, and numerous, recent, front-page articles about one more professional athletes gone bad, Jennifer and I have had frequent conversations about heroes and mentors in our society today. From what models do our kids (and adults) get their inspiration? I don t know how important the comments about fruit of the spirit... were to Paul when he included those words in his letter, but I think they are at the heart of what s wrong with the world today, and what s needed for a healthy life. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fidelity, gentleness, and self-control (vv ). I challenge you to memorize that verse. They are not fruits of the Spirit, but fruit of the Spirit. All nine characteristics of one s personality (and maybe more) come from the Spirit of God dwelling within your hearts and minds. What is it that most kids want today other than to feel secure and important, successful, and to be admired by their peers -- which lends a sense of power and control? And is that any different from what most of us adults want, as well? What does feeling powerful or important do for us? It makes us think that those are the keys to being happy. 1

2 Nothing can take the place of feeling important enough to be loved, truly love. Admiration and love are two different qualities. Admiration hangs around as long as our performance holds up. Love, in its purest agape state, never ends. And, is there anything that inner peace can t cure? When we are at peace within, we can stand-alone on our convictions, accept being misunderstood, live with temporary or permanent disadvantages, let someone else win or be in the spotlight... The apostle Paul s letter to the church in Galatia is a letter about grace something he learned after being an unsuccessful, fanatical follower of the law. Paul s comments are about more than pie in the sky spirituality. He speaks of three important facets of everyday life: 1. The unattractive side of being human; 2. Trying to control our unattractive side; 3. And, freedom that comes through the Spiritual life. The reason that the letter of Galatians is such a powerful and important letter is due to its autobiographical nature. Paul had studied under the leading Jewish teacher in his day Gamaliel. He had become a fanatical, law abiding Jewish leader of his day. In the opening chapter of this letter, he describes how zealously he pursued a religious life, persecuting the Christian church trying to change the world rather than changing himself only to discover grace, which neutralized his legalism. What Paul wanted and worked so hard for in his legalistic efforts, came as incidentals with his life in the Spirit. Long before the psychological techniques of focusing or mindfulness became employed in sports, the Labor Room, and self-help philosophies, they existed in the gospels. Jesus knew that negative approaches to eliminating unwanted items in the character had no lasting effect. He told the parable of the person who wanted to rid a house of a devil by sweeping it out, only to have more unwanted traits to take its place seven devils to take the one devil s place. In Greek mythology, Orpheus was the greatest of musicians. On an expedition with the Argonauts, they past by the rocky isle of the Sirens. Many a sailor was lured to his death by the irresistible beauty of the songs and the sirens. When Orpheus heard the sirens, he drew his lyre and played music more beautiful than theirs, drowning out their alluring but deadly song. 2

3 William Glasser, noted psychiatrist and developer of Reality Therapy and Choice Therapy, well understood the principles. In his book, Positive Addiction, he encouraged the same principles as that of Orpheus. Often the characteristics we desire are by-products of another principle or way of living. Glasser said that if a person wants to overcome a negative trait or addiction, the easiest way to do so is to develop a healthy or positive addiction to take its place. The healthier, stronger addiction will over-ride the weaker, negative characteristic or addiction. What Paul knew, however, was that this Fruit of the Spirit thing was not just a psychological move to get what one really wanted. It was the key to a truly happy, peaceful life. It was the reason Jesus told a group of anxious, followers: Seek first the kingdom of God, and things like food, clothing, friends, happiness, self-fulfillment... shall be added... This is such a powerful message for individuals, families, communities, churches, our nation. What if everyone followed the Way of God, as Jesus understood and taught it? The trap before the Galatians was the issue of Jewish-required circumcision for spiritual purity. Paul knew that if one discarded God s grace and started relying on following rules to be good enough, there would always be an unfulfilled hunger of the soul. There are limits to what laws and rules can provide. You can t make someone love you. Love happens on its own. You can t force people to be patriotic; patriotism must come from within. When we see how profoundly fortunate and blessed we are to be given the many advantages of a democratic society free education, incentives to learn, the freedom to question, the principle of equal opportunity then patriotism, not nationalism, follows. Some years ago in my late twenties, a stray cat showed up at our house. She stayed in the shadows, darting back through the opening under the house when someone appeared. I left food for the cat for several mornings. Sometimes from the window I could see it come out to feed. I kept thinking that if I could just pet the cat long enough, even by force, I could prove my intentions to bring no harm. On a nearby 4th of July holiday, I was alone in the back grilling hamburgers, when what should appear but the stray cat, being lured by the smell of fresh hamburger cooking on the hibachi. Placing a small amount of the cooked meat on the ground and the other patties on a plate. I sat quietly watching the young cat ease closer and closer to the hibachi and me. When finally the stray cat was literally at my feet eating a small piece of the hamburger patty, I quickly reached down and grabbed the young cat. Rather than accepting my 3

4 friendly but naive intentions, the cat turned on my arm with all four paws and sixteen claws, plus its teeth. At the same moment that the cat was attacking my arm, our collie chose to go for the rest of the hamburger patties. My good intentions of making a friend of the stray cat quickly ended. The truth that you can t make someone love you was dramatized before my very eyes and on my very arm. There I stood, trying to shake the cat off my arm while trying to scare the dog away from our meal. It was a 4 th of July cookout gone awry. When we choose to be guided by the Spirit seek first God s Spirit with no preconceived notions or agenda then the true essentials for living a successful life mysteriously become our own. Things like love, happiness, inner peace, patience, self-control, goodness, kindness, and loyalty comes incidentally with life in the Spirit. It is for freedom that Christ set us free, Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Galatia. That makes about as much sense, at first, as some of the other sayings in the Bible... you find yourself when you loose yourself... if you try to save yourself, you will be lost... the first shall be last and the last shall be first... for freedom s sake you have been made free. Conclusion That s the reason that having good models and mentors are so vital for us all especially our kids. someone who knows that a fast life style, gold chains, exorbitant salaries don t necessarily mean happiness. that violence, abusive language, a winner-take-all mentality don t lead to the successful life. We need models and mentors that have seen the bigger picture and have come into contact with the more lasting values of life. We need people in our lives who understand that peace on earth begins with having peace within. Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Amen. 4

5 Galatians 5: For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. 14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 15 If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. 16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 5