Our scripture this morning is Galatians 4:4-7.
“But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.”
Paul uses an example from his time to describe Jesus coming to buy our freedom from slavery to sin. God loved us so much He was willing to come to be one of us in order to break the hold of evil in our lives. He writes that the law which was meant to guide and protect us had been manipulated by people and had taken the place of an honest, loving connection to the Father.
You may have heard me use the phrase “love God, love neighbor, make disciples”. It’s a combination of the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:37) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). Jesus said these things to show us what is most important in our lives and the task we are given to carry on His ministry. We don’t really need a rule for every situation that occurs if we believe and obey these.
Jesus wants us to choose a relationship with God, loving Him above all things, loving our brothers and sisters in the same way and going into the world to share that joy. It sounds so simple, that we can be connected to God and each other through the only covenant that matters – His love for us. If we repent and accept God’s promise, we can be free from sin, free to do what He calls us to accomplish, and free to live with Him eternally.
Loving Lord, we are rule-based creatures, but we don’t follow them faithfully and we twist them to our own advantage. Free us from captivity to sin and send us to share the Good News. Amen.