Called to freedom

Abridged text of a sermon preached at Fairview UMC 30th June 2013 – Called to Freedom


One question I asked David Calhoun before coming to the USA was whether I’d be expected for me to make reference to Independence Day or to preach a special sermon. David told me I didn’t need to – though I should perhaps make reference to the day on the Sunday before or after.

Well when I saw the Galatians passage in the Lectionary passages for this Sunday, it soon became apparent that Freedom would be on the agenda. For the passage in Galatians has plenty to say about freedom and, as I understand it, Independence Day is all about Americans wanting to be free from us pesky Brits!

To get to grips with this passage from Galatians we have to understand the background to it.

A group of Jewish Christian missionaries came to Galatia and told the Christians there they had got it wrong. In order to be a follower of Jesus Christ they needed to adopt the following of Jewish laws. Only by doing so would they worthy of salvation.
On hearing what was happening, Paul penned his letter to dissuade the Galatian churches from accepting this message from the Missionaries.

In Paul’s eyes the Missionaries had got it wrong. Paul preached that salvation comes through God’s grace. Grace that was shown through the death of Jesus on the cross. Paul emphasised that it is the cross, not adherence to the Law of Moses that is the basis of a relationship with God.

The Missionaries acted as though the death of God’s son on the Cross had not changed the world. The Missionaries wanted things to go back to how they were before Jesus. Whereas in Jesus Christ God has transformed the world. And continues to transform the world.

In summary, the Missionaries wanted to shackle the members of the church in Galatia to the Jewish law. Paul urges the people of Galatia to take a stand against the Missionaries and their message because their version of the Gospel will tie them down.
Paul is saying Jesus Christ has freed all people from the obligation of following the Law of Moses

5 1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

And in saying this Paul is echoing the words of Jesus. You’ll remember how Jesus once said in Matthew 11

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’

It was often said that a Jewish person was yoked to the law. In other words, they pulled the law around with them and like the yoke itself the law would have been heavy and burdensome. But in Christ Jesus people do not need to be yoked to the law for salvation. The law doesn’t bring them salvation. Faith in Jesus Christ brings salvation. And salvation brings freedom.

I don’t know what it is like here in the USA but we in Britain are experiencing more and more regulation and red tape. I chair the Board of Governors – Trustees if you like – of a local High School in Swindon. And I despair for the teachers who are constantly on the receiving end of more bright ideas and paperwork form the Government. But it is not just schools that are subject to more and more regulation. Many institutions are becoming more regulated and perhaps the reason why is because it is no longer possible to allow schools, hospitals, banks etc. etc. to govern themselves because they cannot be trusted to do so.

As someone who worked in the banking sector for about 15 years prior to ministry, I can understand why the banks are becoming more regulated. Our governments - whether under Margaret Thatcher or Tony Blair – operated a so called “light touch” approach which allowed the banks to regulate themselves. And to misquote that well know financial commentator Oliver Hardy –

“another nice mess they’ve gotten us in to!”

If institutions could be trusted to run themselves they wouldn’t need regulation. But because institutions apparently cannot be trusted to run themselves, they are becoming subject to tighter regulation.

In sharp contrast to this Paul reminds the Galatians that they do not need to be subject to the Law of Moses because

18 if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

In other words, as Christians, if we living by the Holy Spirit, and being guided by the Holy Spirit, we do not need the rules and regulations that the Law of Moses imposed. Through the Holy Spirit we are in touch with how God would have us live our lives and we don’t need 600 or so laws given to Moses to tell us how we live Christ like lives.

5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

Freedom is a basic human right. The American founding fathers knew that when they wrote the words:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

But we always have to balance individual liberty with the good of the entire community. It’s a fine line isn’t it between lawless anarchy and oppressive totalitarianism. Paul, mindful no doubt of the might of the Roman Empire, tells the Galatians that they must stand firm for freedom, but at the same time they must care for one another and the wider community

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters;[c] only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence,[d] but through love become slaves to one another.

Galatians 5:13

And in caring for one another, they are not to be selfish or self-centred.

We have a saying in Britain “I’m alright Jack.” It supposedly came from the Royal Navy “I’m alright Jack you can pull up the ladder” meaning anyone else waiting to be rescued could fend for themselves. It is a term used to indicate a person who only acts in their own best interests, even where assistance to others would necessitate minimal effort on their behalf.

Paul reminds us that in Christ we have freedom but that freedom must not be abused. We are not to say “I’m alright Jack I’m saved I don’t care about you”

The City of London is the original site of Londinium, the Roman city and the area is roughly a square mile. It is a City within a City and has its own local government and police force. Today the City of London is the home of UK banking and commerce and it is probably the most important financial centre in the world after New York.

On the wall of my study is a framed certificate that shows I am a Freeman of the City of London. Historically, to be a Freeman of the City meant you could trade there without having to pay City taxes and it meant that a Freeman could drive cattle or sheep to market in the City over London Bridge without having to pay a toll. It also meant that you were not a slave.

Today it is nothing more than an honorary title. And I share the honour of being a Freeman with illustrious people such as Sir Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher. However, in theory, a Freeman is still entitled to drive sheep or cattle over London Bridge – though as the Chamberlain of the City said to me at my investiture “Although you can drive sheep over London Bridge we’d rather you didn’t. The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police tends to get rather upset.”

I mention this because it’s a good example of being free to do something but at the same time having responsibilities to others.
Paul reminds us that

14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’

Just before I came away I was sent some information on the Moral Mondays campaign that is taking place here in North Carolina. As I understand it leaders of five of the main denominations have come out against cuts being made by your state legislature in respect of Medicare and unemployment benefit.

It would be impolite as a visitor to these shores, and to this wonderful State, to make comment. But I was struck by the wording of the joint statement released by various church leaders including
Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, North Carolina Conference, United Methodist Church
Bishop Larry Goodpaster, Western North Carolina Conference, United Methodist Church

And in the statement the church leaders say this

Our concern about the legislative actions is not an act of political partisanship. Rather it is a matter of faith with respect to our understanding of the biblical teachings and imperatives to protect the poor, respect the stranger, care for widows and children and love our neighbours

And one of the passages of scripture they cite in support is Galatians 5:14

14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’

In 1834 6 men – five of whom were Methodists - all from the small Dorset village of Tolpuddle in England, were found guilty of trying to form a trade union for farm workers. To use today’s language they were framed. But the court ordered them to be imprisoned. In fact they would be transported – sent to Australia – almost as slaves. To cut a long story short, after a national campaign, they men were pardoned and freed.

One of the men was George Loveless. He was a Methodist local preacher. Just before he was sent to Australia George Loveless, wrote a hymn the first verse of which is this:

God is our guide! from field, from wave,
From plough, from anvil, and from loom;
We come, our country's rights to save,
And speak a tyrant faction's doom:
We raise the watch-word liberty;
We will, we will, we will be free!

In Christ we are set free. Free to worship him. Free to be saved by him. And free to love our neighbours as ourselves as he commanded. In Christ we will, we will, we will be free!