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IV. FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Real worship from a redeemed heart will lead to verbal praise; Note how David’s salvation always got to his lips (Psa. '28:7; 34:1; 40:3). We are granted freedom to speak, not freedom from speech! We are to exercise this freedom because the Scriptures com mand it (Psa. 107:2; Mk. 16:15), our own experience demands it (1 John 1:3; Matt. 11:4)’, and the lost estate of our fellow men compels it (1 Cor. 15:34). There is no other way to reach the lost! God has committed the task of evangelism to us. Conclusion The more c a r e f u l l y we consider these four freedoms in the light of the Word of God, the more we will be amazed at the tremendous price with which they were purchased. Our salvation is free, but it isn’t cheap. It cost heaven its dearest possession— even God’s blessed Son (1 Pet. 1:18, 19). Surely we have been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:29). As God now no longer demands the dead sacrifice upon the altar, He greatly desires nothing less than the offerer himself! It may startle some to learn that God does not want the Christian’s tithe, time, or talent—but He does want the Christian! Does He have you? “Present your bodies a living sacrifice . . . unto God*’ (Rom. 12:1), and you shall be "free indeed” (John 8:36). JUNE 24, 1945 RESPONSIBILITIES OF FREEDOM G a l a t ia n s 5 :13-18 By H. Gordon Hyde Whenever God trusts a man with liberty to do certain things, He also makes him responsible for the choice he makes. From the time Adam was made a creature who might choose right or wrong until the present day, man’s choice has determined the sub sequent events of his life. In every dispensation of God’s dealing with man there have been a privilege and a responsibility. When Christ brings freedom into a man’s life, He leaves that one with certain responsibilities to God, to him self, and to others. For Those Who Have Topics I. LIBERTY AND LICENSE. When one is freed from the old law, he should not use this liberty as a license for sin. If his. love for the Saviour is sincere, it will bridle his thoughts and actions and direct them into the paths of righteousness. II. LAW AND GRACE. The Christian is released from the law of Moses through grace, yet there is another law: which he obeys. The
Psalmist says: "I. delight to do thy will, O my God; Yea, thy law is within my heart.” The old responsi bility to the Mosaic law is gone, but a new law of God is planted in the heart. III. FLESH AND SPIRIT. Though the Christian desires to do only the things that are right, there remains the old nature with which he must contend. The verses im mediately following our Scripture lesson point out alternate ways of con duct. Paul speaks of the “works of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit.” The works of the flesh are listed in verses 19 to 21. The positive virtues which comprise the fruit of the Spirit as given in verses 22 to 24 are far more pleasing to God and man. IV. HATE AND LOVE. Love is a relative thing. Its degree is measured by one’s willingness to sacrifice self. It is brought into pro minence by one’s hatred for the op posite of that which is loved. The writer of Hebrews said of Jesus, “Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.” The Apostle Paul spoke of delighting to do God’s will, and often referred to himself as a bond servant or slave of Jesus Christ—one bound by cords of love. In these examples, the Chris tian has a great incentive to loVe. In each of the four cases cited above, the Christian is- allowed to choose which course he desires, but his re sponsibility is to choose the better of the two. The right choice will bring blessing and will glorify God. The problem of questionable in dulgences and actions can quickly be solved by the rule laid down in verse 25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Illustration There are many stories told about the reaction of the' colored people when they were freed from slavery. One old mammy whose master lived far away from his neighbors, did not know of her freedom until weeks after the emancipation proclamation. One day a friend of hers came and said, “Mandy, don’t you know you’s free?” “Free?” questioned the slave. “Yes, all the. slaves is free. Mr. Lin coln says we’s all free.” When the truth d a w n e d upon Mandy, she threw her dust cloth across the room with all her strength and shouted, “I don’t work here no more!” Quite in contrast was that large number of slaves who loved their masters, and though they were free, would not leave them. Mandy realized that her freedom re leased her from certain old respon sibilities and opened the door to new opportunities, while for the others, love turned their liberty into an oc casion for joyful service.
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