"Stand fast, therefore,
In the Liberty wherewith
Christ has made us free."
Galatians 5:1
Paul, the writer of the Book of Galatians, was well-acquainted with conflict. Paul literally met Jesus in the midst of creating conflict… targeting and wreaking havoc in the Christian world that was grappling with the effects of Jesus’ physical visit to Earth. Paul had turned the religious world upside-down in his former life’s Mission to uphold the Faith of the God of Israel. But then Paul whole-heartedly turned to Faith in the Messiah Jesus, following his dramatic, personal Encounter with Him.
Paul’s words echo through the ages to us, and the experiences each of us have had as a result of our own personal encounters with Christ . . . now in the 21st Century of history. Paul presents the “Great Conflict” with which each follower of Christ must grapple throughout all of our days here on Earth. As we individually choose to step out of the Kingdom of Darkness and step into the Kingdom of Light, we have each experienced the personal impact of choosing to stand with Christ in our life’s Journey here. The world we each entered from the beginning of our tiny life is not the World that God had created before sin entered and became a permanent part of Life on Earth.
Although the Kingdom of this World incessantly works to draw us into its Darkness, Jesus stands with each of us who have chosen to follow and serve Him, having won our Freedom from that Darkness and bringing us into His Kingdom of Light. Paul’s words give us a picture of that very real, very hard-fought Liberty that Jesus offers and provides for each of us. It is our new Reality. Always available. Always True.
“Stand fast” . . . not shaking in our boots . . . not turning and running . . . not hiding in a bunker . . . not running home to escape the dangers. . . not pretending there is no risk in our life’s reality.
“Stand fast, therefore . . . in the Liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.” Period.
Do we realize that our Liberty is a reality NOW? We don’t need to cower in fear, peeking out of our bunker to check for danger. We don’t need to hide behind someone else who seems to offer protection. “Stand fast…” He’s got you. He’s got me. That is the Reality, despite the Battle that rages around us. We are His. We are free.
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