Guarding the Landmarks: Victory and Freedom

Galatians 5:1

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

There is a landmark that Christ purchased on the cross and we too often are willing to compromise that landmark while all the while we should be standing firm. That landmark is Christ's victory over sin in our lives allowing us to live in freedom. On the cross, Jesus paid the debt of sin. Sin costs something: life itself.

For a moment, let’s take a trip all the way back to the Garden of Eden, a perfect place. It was there that Adam sinned against God, disobeyed God, and faced the consequences of his rebellion against God. That consequence was death - separation from God. Prior to this, Adam enjoyed a sweet fellowship with God. He walked with God, he talked with God, and he enjoyed all God had provided for him. When sin took over, the reign of sin took charge. It was at that very moment in time, Adam became a slave to sin. Adam, and all humankind, would then bear the yoke of slavery.

Fast forward now to Jesus, who the Bible calls the “second Adam.” What Adam lost, Jesus regained. In perfect obedience to the Father, Jesus lived, suffered, and died. When Adam died, a guilty man died; but when Jesus died, an innocent man died. And He died in our place, paying for our sin, carrying our burden, and bearing in His body the guilt and shame of all mankind.

So think about it for a moment. What Adam lost, Jesus regained. While Adam rebelled, Christ lived in perfect obedience to the Father. Through the grace and forgiveness of God Jesus then broke the yoke of slavery to sin and established a new landmark: freedom and victory over sin’s reign in our life.

Now go back with me to Galatians 5:1 where the Bible says, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore stand firm.” I believe we would all agree that slavery is a horrible thing. It is a horrible thing for one man to own another and for human dignity to be demeaned by the idea of human ownership of another person. It was a horrible thing in the past and it is now and it will always be a horrible thing. It should repulse us and drive us to indignation. But for a moment, let’s think about spiritual slavery. Sin is a master; and its father, the devil is evil. And sin and Satan want nothing more than to make each Christ-follower their slave.

Now here is the sad part; we as Christ-followers are often willing to allow it. We are willing to allow Satan to defeat us, willing to allow sin to creep into our lives, willing to allow compromise, and willing to live under the yoke of slavery, all the while knowing that Jesus has already set us free.

We often too easily give up is the landmark of living in victory over sin. It was His grace that willingly walked the road of the cross and payment for our sin. It was His grace that took our sin on His shoulders and His grace that did for us what we could never do for ourselves. And it was grace that purchased back our freedom in Christ.

So let me ask you this today. Why are we so often willing to live as slaves, when we have been freed by the grace of Jesus? We are called to stand firm on the grace of God, holding fast to the landmark of a victorious life.

Landmarks are in place for a reason. Do you remember when I began this series I said that without landmarks there is confusion and conflict? When we refuse to stand firm in God’s landmark of victory, that is exactly what happens to us. We end up being confused and in conflict. I encourage you today to stand firm in the landmark of the freedom and victory He purchased for you!

Before we go today, I want to tell you about a new blog series that is coming next week entitled Standing in the Gap. Did you know that we are given the joy and blessing of standing in the gap before God on behalf of others? I am excited about this series and hope you will be encouraged by it as well.

Until next week, stand firm in the landmark of God’s grace!!