Perhaps you heard about the poor squirrel who was found under a vehicle in St Andrew’s last month by a couple of teens. The poor animal must have run through some still wet foam insulation which dried quickly on its body making it near impossible for it to move at all! It had got into so much of the stuff that it was hardly even recognizable anymore as a squirrel!
Thankfully Jaydon Pettipas and Aiden Hart came along, spotted the squirrel and took action. They contacted the closest veterinarian clinic in St George some 33 km away and brought the poor creature in immediately. Dr. Melanie Egan had never seen anything like this before in fact it was the first squirrel ever to be treated in the clinic. Using rubbing alcohol and gentle combing she was finally able to free the animal from its rock-hard, certain death prison. The squirrel was eventually released near the clinic.
Jesus said this: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36). He taught that sin had gripped a hold of us, it had hardened around us and there was nothing we could do to break free. The law had taught us how holy we had to be but we were helpless to obey it perfectly. Jesus came with the authority to make a new way… to die in our place… to appease the Justice of the Father, clean us up and set us free. One day He will indeed make us actually holy!
Paul reminds the new believers in Galatia not to return to attempting to obey the law… attempting to behave themselves holy. He’s telling them forget it; it won’t work. You’ve tried that already and you know it doesn’t work. Don’t go back. Trust Christ’s substitution before God as the way he has made for you. Stay away from attempts at self-righteousness.
The King James translation puts it like this: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” (KJV). The New International has it: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” (NIV). I rather like the direct simplicity of the New Life Version: “Christ made us free. Stay that way.” (NLV).
I hope that poor squirrel learned to stay away from construction sites — and especially to stay away from foam insulation! Likewise we as redeemed people of God must avoid sin and must avoid all the attempts to please God through our own righteousness. Christ has done it all!
Christian, Christ has made you free! Stay that way!
Press on…
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