Freedom in Christ

Yesterday we finished up an eleven week series on the Fruit of the Spirit. I recapped that this is fruit, it takes time for it to grow and mature in our lives. It takes time and effort. This fruit is of the Spirit, so God is the one who produces it. These are dependant upon God. And finally, the text says "fruit is" not "fruits are" so this is an indivisible list, not a pick and choose.

These all build on each other like the floors of a house. You can't have the higher ones without the lower ones. You need the foundation of God before you can even begin construction. The Fruit of the Spirit is for believers, it's for those who have died to sin and self. Fruit can only grow in ground that has been cleared and plowed. For this fruit to be produced we can't have the weeds of sin in the garden of our hearts.

Once we remove sin there is a void that must be filled, because Jesus said, "“When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.” (Luke 11.24-26).

We fill that space with Christ, and then this fruit is produced. This fruit brings freedom. Galatians 5.1, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." Christ has set us free to for freedom, and that is why Paul ends verse 23 with, "against such things there is no law."

The law is not the point. For the Jews it was, but for Christians it isn't. The law gives no freedom, the law rules our lives. The religious leaders of the Bible were so legalistic that in order to protect the people from breaking the law they made over 300 additional rules so that if was practically impossible to touch any of the Ten Commandments. But there is no life in legalism. Christ didn't die so that we could follow the rules, He died so that we could live with Love.

Love frees us. And in love we are able to have true live and true freedom. Jesus said to love God and love others, and on these two hangs every other law. It's true. If I love God I won't take His name in vane, I won't worship an idol, I will place nothing above Him, and I will keep His day holy. If I love people I won't steal, murder, lie, covet, violate a marriage, and I will honor my parents. Love is what we live by, not the law. And that is freedom in Christ.

The law is good, because the law is from God. We need the law. Paul says in Romans 7 that if we didn't have the law we wouldn't know what sin is. If we didn't have the law we wouldn't know that certain things were wrong. But the law cannot save us, all it can do is condemn. It simply shows us how sinful we are, it shows us how far we fall short. The law, the Ten Commandments are not the goal we strive for, they are the foundation we begin with.

"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3.12-14, he isn't striving to keep the rules, but for Christlikness. That is the goal, to become like Christ. Our purpose is to help others become like Christ. The Fruit of the Spirit frees us and empowers us to strive for that.

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control, these nine characteristics are to mark the life of the Christ follower. These nine gifts come from God, and these nine attributes help us to become like Christ.

Peace be with you