The Other Ditch

The Other Ditch

Words of Faith 6-18-19

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2019

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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Galatians 5

    [13] You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

        Someone once said that the key to driving a car effectively is a matter of staying out of both ditches. Paul had given an extensive warning about the one ditch-- that of lapsing into slavery by going under religious rules.  But there was another ditch to be concerned about, self-indulgent sin.

        The other ditch Paul warned of was that of carrying "freedom" to the point of license.  We are set free from religious rules and acts of the flesh.  But this freedom must not become a starting point that allows sin to get a foothold. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Absolutely.  But freedom is not an excuse for sinful self-indulgence.

         To fine tune it all-- our call is always to love.  Specifically, we are to serve one another in love.  If our freedom somehow turns toward sin and others are drawn away from Christ, this is not love.  If freedom hurts those whom God is trying to reach, this is not love.  If freedom takes advantage of others, this is not love.  We are to serve one another in love.

           The word Paul used here was a strong one.  It comes from the word slave. It is an interesting choice, to say the least.  Having urged the Galatians not to become slaves to law-- Paul now encouraged them to become slaves of one another. It is an instructive paradox. The Galatians are to be slaves of one another, but this slavery is not at all like the first.

          Really this is the paradox of freedom in Christ. Slavery to sin is involuntary and terrible.  We are born into sin and cannot escape from it.  As David declared: Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me (Psalm 51:5).  The Apostle Paul declared:  I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out (Romans 7:18).

           Slavery to law, which comes by choice, is foolish and burdensome. On the other hand, slavery to one another is voluntary and a source of deep joy. It is possible only because Christians are delivered through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit from the necessity of serving sin in their lives.

          So here is the question of the day:  Are you free in Christ?  Has your freedom become a license to sin or cause others to sin?  Has your freedom set you free to be a slave-- to Christ and to others?  Have you discovered the freedom of servanthood?

        Father God, show me that place of freedom that is not self-indulgent.  Teach me the place of freedom that is slavery to You.  Build in me that place of freedom that can serve others.  In Jesus' Name.

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, and our website, and our church app, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.  

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