Last year our church studied John 15, covering verse 13 which says, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." It was a good time to dwell on this verse, as it was just before Veterans Day in America, when we remember the great sacrifice that so many servicemen have made so that we may live in freedom.
Christ's great love for us is a sacrificial love for His friends. It's also a sacrificial love for His enemies (see Romans 5:6-11). This sacrifice liberates captives, releases prisoners, and frees slaves. Sinners are forgiven of all of their sin and law-burdened weaklings are emancipated.
Galatians puts this plainly: "The Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus...It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 3:24-26, 5:1)
What great news we have! This message of freedom--freedom purchased for us by Jesus Christ's great sacrifice on the cross--is the very message we take out to the world so that they may be saved. As much as we revere those in our society who have made sacrifices for us, we see them as types and shadows of the greatest sacrifice ever made. The perfect Son of God made flesh died in our place for our sins so that we may be brought near to God once for all. Hallelujah!
No comments:
Post a Comment