Commanded to Act as Our Father

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and do not again be held with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1)

Paul urges us to “stand fast,” meaning persevere. That’s a hard thing when it pertains to some things in some situations. It’s hard to persevere in a situation that you can’t escape like a workplace where someone is persecuting you or harassing you. It’s difficult to persevere when the family bullies one member because they don’t fit into their family mold. It’s tough to escape intimidation in school. These are places you can’t escape. You have to work, and jobs are hard to come by, so you can’t just leave your workplace. The same is true with a family. You can’t leave your family, although some have with dreadful consequences. And children cannot leave their schools. We hear of appalling suicides and wonder if things were really that bad that they couldn’t go on living. But any kind of persistent persecution is difficult to endure. These situations can cause us to sin and return to a life of hate, anger and bondage to sin from which the Lord has freed us.

Paul adjures us to persevere in the liberty from which Christ has made us free. We have a choice. When we were bound in the kingdom of sin and darkness, we couldn’t help but sin, get angry, seek revenge and retribute others’ persecution. We knew nothing else. We had no defense against others but to return the favor in wickedness.  The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from the womb, speaking lies.” (Psalms 58:3) From their birth, they cannot do anything but sin. They reject God. “Through the pride of his face the wicked will not seek Him; There is no God in all his schemes.” (Psalms 10:4) But when we come to Jesus, He frees us from the bondage of sin and wickedness. We have a choice now. We can return to our bondage of sin and wickedness and plan wicked retribution or act righteously. And that is what Paul is talking about. We now can act righteously in the face of wickedness. We can endure victoriously.

Can you imagine how acting righteously can affect the wicked? It’s unknown and puzzling to them how we can love them. Jesus has commanded us, “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you. And to him who strikes you on the one cheek, also offer the other. And to him who takes away your garment, do not forbid your tunic also. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from him who takes away your goods, do not ask them again. And as you desire that men should do to you, you do also to them likewise.” (Luke 6:27-31; Matthew 5:44) You may say, it’s impossible to obey this commandment. And it is if you’re trying to do it in your own strength. It takes divine power to react like Jesus commands us. That’s why the wicked are so puzzled by this kind of reaction. It is unworldly. And we can only love those who hate us if we have God in us.

Paul tells the Corinthians, “So that, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not without fruit in the Lord.” (1Corinthians 15:58) Our obedience will bear fruit. And that is what we are to do, bear fruit. He tells the Philippians, “Only let your conduct be as becomes the gospel of Christ...” (Philippians 1:27) And he tells the Thessalonians, “Therefore, my brothers, stand fast and hold the teachings which you have been taught, whether by word or by our letter.” (2Thessalonians 2:15) The writer of Hebrews writes, “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great recompense of reward. For you have need of patience, so that after you have done the will of God you might receive the promise.” (Hebrews 10:35-36) And in His revelation to John, Jesus tells us, “But that which you have, hold fast until I come.” (Revelation 2:25) We are to respond to persecutions as becoming a child of God. The Lord wouldn’t tell us to do so if it were impossible. It is possible for a child of God. We have a supernatural power with us and in us, the Holy Spirit. We can choose to allow God to manifest His power in love and forgiveness instead of responding like we haven’t been delivered from sin and darkness.

In short, there is no trial or persecution that we should allow to bring us back into the bondage of sin. Jesus has made us free to live righteously. We have what we need to do it. We have the power of the Holy Spirit indwelling.

Let us pray:

Father God, You have given me a choice. I can return to the bondage of hate, revenge, sin and darkness or I can turn to You and allow You to help me to act in love in the face of wickedness. Father, You have given me all that I need to endure and to persevere in victory. Help me my Lord that in the trying time, I may remember that I am Your child and remember to cry out to You for Your help to act righteously. Thank You my God that You have given me the freedom and the ability to act righteously. I can do it with the help of the Holy Spirit Who dwells in me. Thank You my Lord that I can with Your help overcome the temptation to retaliate like the wicked and to act in love. Your Word says that acting righteously will bring forth fruit. And that is what You want from me my Lord. You want to see fruit. Thank You my Lord for Your faithfulness and help. In the Name of Jesus I pray, amen.