Liberation
June 2, 2023
Liberation occurs after the faith of Christianity. We may or may not know we need the freedom unless we are in Christian life. In our Christians journey, where we recognize that we thought is liberty was in fact captivity. It is captivity to our wishes and living to where ever the wind blows. It is our own captivity that we go in the wrong direction, whatever possible direction we could go on.
So, Saint Paul talks about this chain that is in the process of being made free or liberation from what comes as a trail. And that instead, we are put to subject of righteousness. It seems like we are exchanging one step to another. This is what ought to be. How could it be, if we are made free servitude to the passion and then left to go; but this is not wright. The instance when we meet farm animals caught in a fence and we figure out how they are caught and let set them free. This is the same as being set free from the chain of sin. but not given to anything else. Why? Because we are not invested in that farm animal in someone else’s property but we are able to do good by it.
We are not set free from our captivity if we chose whatever we want. If we are going to do good, our inevitably will take us wright back to where we were. We were given something else of more value that to serve righteousness. This contrast between the two is undeniable. The wage of sin is death; the gift of God is eternal life. This is something that is just. This is our reward after working way. We are bestowed for a job done. The Gift of God is unjust and it something that is not deserved. So often we want justice. We want what is fair. It is normal thing to want. If we are looking what is fair, we talk about eternity and eternal judgment, if we are looking that is fair and just, it is far from heavenly. Saint Paul have said, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
This standard that bench mark is holiness; unless we are already holy, we fall short. It is straight forward as that. There is no due justice to be children of God. There is no due justice, to walk in Christina life. So it is not justice but a gift. The gift is enteral life; It is to serve righteousness; we could have left to go whatever we please. But we are given a gift to so much more. To not be simple mud but we are to be called holiness; to be called to immortality; We were liberated from servitude to the passions; We were brought by price.
Therefore, is incumbent on us to following, to make this price worthy. This means that we need to be living this life of righteousness too. We need to follow what we called to do. To call ourselves Christians and orthodox be reemphasize, to be right Christians, we are Christ followers. It means we need to follow in His footsteps especially when it is unfair.
After all it was already unfair and unjust, that we were given what all the things we did against God. This is why we are told to forgive others as we have been forgiven. It happens all in the same time. So here is our work then; our work is set ahead of us. To follow it is spiritual discipline and in the life of Christ. That step by step and day by day, we get step by step closer to Him; closer to Christ’s life. This we recommend ourselves to that frequency of pray; to that regularity of the fasting broom as we have been given to each, to reading scriptures that we may know more of the God who showed Himself to us, of considering what we may do of all the God that blessed and of receiving sacraments and honesty before Him and then following what He had said in receiving is what He had loved that we may have His love in us. We shall again be making sure that those chains are far from us. We recommend ourselves for righteousness. Amen!
Source: “Our Liberty, Bought with the Cross, and how we respond” Father Andrew Smith’s sermon at H.A. Orthodox Church
