Freedom Requires Responsibility

Galatians 5:1-6, 13

The United States of America is 232 years old. This is a great day for us. Comparing with other nations, our years are not that many. I was not raised in this country, but while I was growing up, we thought highly of the US. One of the reasons was the word freedom. "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" is one of the most famous phrases in the United States Declaration of Independence. I remember the days when we were growing up in Syria, my brother bought the Time magazine. Each issue came late because it was censored. Worse, it came with some pages missing, because the authorities did not like the content. I remember my brother saying, “I want to go to a country where they allow me to decide which page I should read or not.”

Here we are in the USA. The word "liberty" is very important for all of us. But I am not going to give a lecture about freedom. I want to give you a biblical perspective about freedom.

"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" is misused by many of us unfortunately. We have become spoiled and not responsible towards our liberty.

Paul was facing a similar issue, the issue of "being a slave under the law." Some believed that in order to become a Christian, one has to live under the Jewish law, such as be circumcised.

Listen to the verse: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Christ liberated us from the bondage of sin. Real freedom is in Christ. Real freedom is not just to have an independent country. Real freedom is when the citizens of this "independent" country are freed from sin by Christ and learn to take the responsibilities of freedom.

I read stories from Christians who were in concentration camps. They witnessed to the fact that the oppressors could not prevent the inner freedom that God gave them. They could torture the body, they could put one in prison, but they could not take away the freedom that Christ gave them.

Here is the warning that Paul gave to the church of the Galatians. "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature."(5:13)

One can fall in this trap quickly. These days gas prices are going up. Automakers, especially in the US in trouble. They built autos that did not consider the gas mileage factor. “Bigger and larger” was the ideal to sell more cars. Now with the fuel crisis, we see that we have not planned enough for the future and have not thought about world energy. How to use energy wisely? How to share world energy and resources in a way that the world can sustain together? These are questions that we as Christians should ask. God created this world and gave it to us so we can keep it and take care of it. He gave us all the freedom but we should not waste whatever is given to us.

I am not giving a lecture on environment or energy crisis. Energy crisis is one example of how our “sinful” nature makes us selfish and greedy.

Paul is warning his audience about the use of the freedom that Christ gave them in the Spirit. He knew that humanity lives in a sinful nature, and man needs to be liberated from sin. Therefore Paul urges in the same chapter, "live by the Spirit" (5:16). I pray that as we celebrate Independence Day, we examine our lives and see if we are living by the Holy Spirit.

"But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love." (5:13)

There is responsibility when we live in freedom in Christ. Paul says, "serve one another in love." Christ liberated us from sin and death; he gave us new life. We need to share his love with each other and especially with the one who is in need. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

232 years of independence. It is great to celebrate what God gave us. Let us not forget that independence means responsibility. Responsibility to use our resources, to serve, to love, and to share God’s love.

I am a Christian and my message is the Christian message. I encourage the Christians of the US to take the Gospel seriously, to take the words of Jesus seriously. I invite you to be liberated by Jesus. I invite you to learn to be free by following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.