Yesterday we looked at how God gives us a choice. We were not created to be robots who have no say in what we are doing. Instead he loves us enough to give us the opportunity to do things ourselves, to create whatever kind of world we want. Essentially we can choose to follow Jesus or do our own thing.
Read Galatians 5:13-14 and journal your thoughts
We have to begin with freedom. Here Paul isn’t just talking about our freedom to choose, but he is talking about our freedom from. Remember Christianity is born out our Judaism, and so formerly Jewish followers are used to doing a list of rites and Holy acts as a way to be seen as acceptable before God. Instead Paul reminds them that they are free from the rites and Holy acts of the Law.
Instead of being bound to a list of rites and Holy acts, Paul sums up the way of Jesus in a word, “love”. In other words, the way of Jesus isn’t just a giant to-do list. In its place we are supposed to live a lifestyle of love, where we express the love of God through everything that we do.
The difference is key, if following Jesus is just a list of things to do then you also have the freedom to do whatever else we want in the spare time (Example: Amos 5). On the other hand when we life a lifestyle of love in consumes all of your time and energy. So when we choose to follow Jesus we aren’t just signing up for a list of things that we have to do, but we choose to embrace a complete lifestyle change where we change the core of who we are.
Today pray that God would allow you to see the opportunities in your life where you can demonstrate God’s love to the world.
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