Galatians 4:21-5:1
Let’s have some fun. Let’s play Would you Rather? It offers you two options, one of which you have to pick. Now, you probably aren’t going to want to pick either, but I encourage you to play along.
- Would you rather have spaghetti for fingers or marshmallows for toes?
- Would you rather sweat melted cheese or smell like a skunk?
- Would you rather give up the internet or showering for a month?
- Would you rather get a papercut turning pages or bite your tongue while eating?
- Would you rather know the date of your death or the cause of your death?
Those Would you Rather? questions came from a Google search that I forgot to link (please forgive me). These questions are obviously silly and are meant to be absurd. It’s a game and as per the rules of the game, you don’t get to pick a 3rd option, such as “none of the above” or “no thank you, Alex”. At least you’ll likely never have to decide between marshmallow toes or spaghetti fingers! I’m sure you’ll still want to choose that 3rd option. That’s all well and good for a game, but in life, there are only two options, and you will pick one or the other. Paul explains this choice in Galatians.
Paul’s two options are simple as described to those early Christians debating on whether to force others to become a Jew before they come to Christ: you can either choose to trust in the Law or in the promise of Jesus, but there is no 3rd option. Freedom is a choice, but it is ultimately a choice of submission. I encourage you today to consider what freedom actually is and what you’ve been choosing lately. As we continue to explore what it means to be in Christ, I ask you today to put your definition of freedom up for deliberation and ponder what it means to be free in Christ through a comparison of the brothers Ishmael and Isaac.
Option 1: Slavery that Looks Like Freedom
Option 1, the Law, is represented in Paul’s argument by Ishmael, the son of Hagar, the slave woman. You might look at Ishmael if you read about him in Genesis and see his life as a free life. Sure, he didn’t get the cushy treatment that Isaac received, but he could make his life his own. The world was at his fingertips and he even had covenant protection from God (Gen 21:17-20). Ishmael could do anything he wanted. Isn’t that the exact definition of freedom today? I want to do whatever I want to do. There is an internet story of a kid who ate a 24 pack of crayons at school, puked, then did it again the next day! (BuzzFeed) That’s freedom, right? If I want to do something, I have the freedom to do it. This is why to many, option 1 may seem like a refreshing offer – after all, to be a good American is to be a rugged individual who doesn’t want anyone else telling us what to do. And certainly, with the traditional viewpoints towards Christianity being that of the moral police, the idea of Christianity isn’t exactly a public image of freedom. But what things may seem like on the outset is not where the truth lies.
Option 1 will allow you to do what you want to do (at least for a while), but when Heb 9:27 comes to pass in your life and you face judgment, you will realize that the Law never granted you freedom to do what you wanted, but in fact will hold you incredibly accountable for everything you’ve ever done! “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). The Law is not something you can accomplish, or a scale where you can balance good action vs bad action, but a simple pass or fail course – and the reality is that nobody has ever passed. The freedom of option 1 is a guaranteed ticket to eternal torment. If you choose the Law, you will be forced to submit to it and that will not be a pleasant experience.
Option 2: Freedom that Looks Like Slavery
Option 2, faith in the promise offered by Jesus, offers a different take on freedom, which on the outside doesn’t actually look like freedom at all. This is shown with Isaac, who was the child promised, along with the city (Jerusalem) that was promised. The problem with Isaac is that God did not exactly give him a “free” life. For example, when he was 14, he was almost executed as a sacrifice! This was done so that God could show how He was going to offer freedom to all, but Isaac had no control over that. Living in the freedom of Christ means living a surrendered life—outside of our control—to God. That means He leads us – we wait for Him, follow Him, do as He says.
Much of that is lined out in scripture, but we are also called to be in active relationship with the Holy Spirit as He guides us step by step. Choosing submission over “doing what I want” is not a popular or traditionally American ideal, but it is the only way we can experience real, true, freedom. If we surrender our life, our choice, our American version of freedom over to God, then we are freed from the constraints of the Law, no longer held to its perfect standard, and promised to inherit eternal life: joy, glory, and immortality in heaven with Christ.
Next Steps
Freedom is a choice, but it is ultimately a choice of submission. Will you submit to Christ now, to enjoy Him forever, or will you choose yourself now and be forced to submit for eternity in torment?
- Choose this day whom you will serve (Josh 24:15)
- Study the options for yourself – don’t be bound by what you’re told – explore deeper study of scripture and read the truth for yourself
- Engage a surrendered life in Christ and experience freedom through service and giving
It’s a simple question of would you rather…would you rather have it all now and pay it all back later, or would you rather give it up now to have abundantly more later? Pick now while you have freedom of choice.
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