It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. (Galatians 5:1, NIV)
A free swinger. These are the words you hear used to describe a golfer who lets loose without concern for the repercussions of a wayward swing. It’s not the way I was taught. But maybe I should have been, because if we’re all going to miss shots anyway, maybe the tradeoff is worth it on those days when all does go right. What if the caution the old school called “smart golf” was really just a step away from fear? How many yards did that fear cost me for the sake of finding the fairway? I’ll never know.
On the putting green, though, I rarely had fear. Playing all the time made me fully comfortable with the green speeds and thus supremely confident about hitting putts on my line. And if I missed? It was no big deal to have a four-footer coming back. I might see a kid do that today and call it young nerves. But in truth, confident putters, no matter their age, don’t really wrestle with nerves.
Confidence can serve us well in many arenas. Think of the difference between a confident public speaker and a nervous one, or between a confident artist and one who draws with a quivering pencil.
Christ’s salvation frees us from the sinful bonds that held us. We are not meant to stand atop those chains with fear of walking in faith.Now, does confidence have a place of value in our faith? Well, if a believer can be both humble and confident at the same time, it is a wonderful sign that he or she is flowing in the freedom of Christ.
The fifth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Galatians is a master study in what it means to exercise true Christ-ordained freedom. The apostle began by linking the freedom we are given to the freedom we will live out. Christ’s salvation frees us from the sinful bonds that held us. We are not meant to stand atop those chains with fear of walking in faith. No! We are to move into a whole new life, free of the repercussions that come from sinful living.
And this is where Paul headed at the end of the chapter. He outlined the difference between a life of sin and a life of abundance. This abundance is the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Paul then drove home the message of freedom when he wrote, “Against such things there is no law.” When we function in Christ, indwelt by his Spirit, we live freely, without damage to our body, mind, or spirit. We walk in the confidence of knowing that he is leading the way.
—
Jeff Hopper
November 15, 2019
Copyright 2019 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
Other devotions in this series:
1 Who Am I? Created by God
2 Who Am I? Children of God
3 Who Am I? Crucified with Christ
4 Who Am I? Resurrected with Christ
5 Who Am I? Born Again
6 Who Am I? A Witness for Christ
7 Who Am I? A Citizen of Heaven
8 Who Am I? A Fearless One
10 Who Am I? A Victor
11 Who Am I? Gifted for Good
12 Who Am I? God’s Friend
13 Who Am I? Complete in Christ