Colossian 2: 6-15a
Over the past weeks, as we wait and listen for God’s direction for us, we have heard about many things. We have heard about getting a new vision, a new view of the world. We have heard about being a neighbor to all those around us, not just the ones who are like us. We heard about fully relying on God and about God’s amazing grace to us. We’ve heard about walking in the way of Christ and about how blessed we are along with many other things. But through all of this, I have come to realize the “amazing freedom” that comes when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are set free.
How many of you have experienced fear in your life? I know I have. Fear that we are not good enough…fear of the unknown…fear of what tomorrow will bring. When God called me to full-time ministry, boy I had fear. I had to go back to school to get my bachelor’s degree and then on to get my Master’s Degree in Ministry. Well, after being out of school for 21 years I thought to myself, “How can I go back to school…it’s been a long time…I’m too old for this…how can I be a mother, wife and student at the same time?”, and all sorts of other things like that. Well…I took all of this to God (and still do now) and a peace came over me and I began to believe that if God called me to do this then God would help me through it.
Colossians 2:6-15a gives us some insight on this fear I had (and still do at times).
It reads: (and I’m reading from the Message Bible)
We are set free from our old life and are brought into a new life with Christ. Now that is FREEDOM! We can trust in the fact that we are a new creation and that we are qualified to go out and do as we are taught. We can do things that have not been done by the world’s standards because we live by God’s standards. We can mount on wings like eagles and soar for God.
I went to the Women of Faith conference in Boston last year. The theme of the conference was Amazing Freedom”. Now I want you to imagine this, 4,000 like-minded women, coming together in praise and worship. It was awe-inspiring! The stories and music that were told there brought tears to my eyes. The one of the things that I took home from the conference is a new view of what Freedom is. To hear 4,000 women all saying together I AM FREE was almost deafening!
WE are free from the Chains of sin…we are free from the condemnation of sin…we are free from the death that sin causes us (not just physical but Spiritual death). WE are free to serve one another. We are free to love one another as Christ loved…and still loves…us. We are free to share our stories to help others find freedom for themselves. We are free to reach out to those around us…with Christ’s love. The love that nailed His outstretched arms to the cross which are the same outstretched arms that are wide open to accept us …where we are…into the family of God. God canceled the “legal note of debt” and Christ took it upon Himself. We are free to believe in the Dream that God has for our lives. We are healed of our brokenness inside by our Lord Jesus Christ and are freed and not held down by it any longer. We are free to be ourselves. We are free to follow our call in life…the call that God will equip us for. True freedom does not mean without bars…true freedom is the indwelling of Christ! If the Son sets you free…you are free in deed.
Freedom…in baptism we are freed from the life we had before. We are given the precious gift of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are free to follow our God and know that God will make a way for us no matter what. Nothing is impossible for God and we are free from worry…anxiety…fears. We are given a Spirit of freedom not one of bondage. We are free to dance before our God and King as David did, with all our might knowing that victory belongs to the Lord.
I would like to read you a poem from my favorite poet…It is titled “Cast off your Shackles”
We are free from the restraints,
The bonds which have
Held us captive,
Free from the snares
The limits, the temptations
Of our own mortal lives.
Jesus has set us free.
By His death we die
By His resurrection
We live, we are raised like Him
We are baptized,
Spiritually circumcised
Into the family of God,
Free from the ledger of our sins
Erased and made clean.
Now…we can either not to accept this gift of freedom and go about in life afraid of making mistakes…afraid that our past might come back to “bite us”…afraid that we are not good enough…or we can FREELY accept this wonderful gift from God and go through life trusting that God is with us…and if God is with us, who can be against us. One of my favorite expressions is from the singer Nicole C. Mullen. You see…we may not feel qualified but we know the one who qualifies the call. We can chose to repeat the words of MLK Jr. and shout from the rooftops “Free at last…Free at last…thank God almighty…Free at last.”
AMEN
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