Freedom!

Inductive Bible Study – April 22, 2013

Galatians 5:1

For freedom Christ has set us free, stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

Interpretation

Wow, this verse is so powerful. Christ loved us enough to take our place on the cross, to suffer anguish and scoff, to even be the lowest of all Jews, a Galilean whom many believed him to be of promiscuous birth. This is love; not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His son as a propitiation for our sins. Our salvation is incredible. O how often I lose sight of my salvation. When I lose sight of the marvelous love of my Savior, poured out for me in blood and water so that He can have eternal relationship with me, I begin to drift: to drift back into the yoke of slavery.

An ox cannot free himself of a yoke. He is paired up with another ox until His master releases him to graze the pastures. The ox has no power of himself to remove the bonds of his yoke. He drags around a heavy burden with this yoke but there is no relief from it until his master has had mercy on him. However, the master of the yoke of slavery, Satan, has no mercy. The master of the yoke of slavery will not look down at the ox with pity. He will continue to drive him and keep increasing its burden until death grips the ox.

“But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” 1 Corinthians 15:57

Satan the master of the yoke of slavery has no mercy. But rather than the ox to be driven on the yoke to death, Christ set us free from the yoke and took it upon himself, carrying not only the burden of my yoke but of the whole earth. Christ was driven to death from the ox’s yoke but praise the Lord for His resurrection which defeated the yoke of slavery and the master who shows no mercy.

I am not powerful enough to release the bonds of the yoke when I submit back into the yoke. But my Savior has set me free. When I lay down my burden at the foot of the cross, Christ releases us from the yoke of slavery and bonds me with His own yoke where His burden is light. Praise the Lord.

May we as Christians never lose sight of what Christ has done for us. For when we do, drifting occurs.

Application

Today I will memorize Psalm 119:9-16 and meditate of the precepts and statutes hidden in this passage.

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statues; I will not forget your word.”