Dear Christian friends:

Our text talks about "liberty" Paul says, "Brothers, God has called you into liberty." (verse 13a) Last Thursday we celebrated Abraham Lincoln's birthday. We remember Lincoln chiefly because he is the president who worked and died to give liberty to the American Negro slaves. Political freedom or liberty is a great blessing, but that is not the Liberty of which St. Paul speaks in our text.

Some people when they think of liberty think of freedom from God. They want freedom from the Commandments, free from church, free from the minister, so they can do exactly as the sinful heart wants. These people think that they are free, but really they are slaves to lust, worry, sin, death and hell. He who wishes freedom from God is the slave of Satan.

The "liberty" in our text is different than political freedom or the sinful freedom from God; it is the freedom we have in Christ under God. Even the Negro slave who believes in Christ has this wonderful freedom, while his master who does not believe in Christ is in terrible slavery to lust and sin. God has called us into this wonderful freedom. Let us this morning think about

In verse one of this chapter Paul shows that Christ has won this freedom for us. How? He obeyed God's law for us, as our Substitute. In Christ we have obeyed all of God's laws. Also Christ has suffered and paid for all our transgressions of the law on the cross. Therefore the law cannot force us anymore. Its threats and punishments can't scare us anymore, because Christ our Lord, the Son of God, and Son of Man has suffered the punishments of the law for us.

The Ten Commandments do not force us. God's wrath and punishments do not scare us because we hide in Christ His Son whom He Himself gave for our Savior.

But shall we say now, "We are free let us do as we please." One deaf man thinks that way. He argues: "The Third Commandment can't force me to go to Church. In Jesus I am free. "Then he goes fishing and hunting or what he likes on Sunday." Is that what we should do with our freedom? Does Jesus, who died for us, want us to use our freedom to sin? The deaf man is right about his freedom in Christ, but he is using his freedom to sin.

That is exactly what St. Paul warns about in our text: He says, "Brothers, in Christ you have liberty; but use not your liberty for opportunity to the flesh." We all still have our sinful flesh, ever after we believe in Jesus. In verse 17 Paul explains about this "flesh." It fights against the Spirit of God in us. And in verse 19-21 he lists the many bad things our flesh wants us to do: Every one another, hate one another, hurt our neighbor and his wife by adultery, lies and gossip or drunkenness.

Now Paul says, "You have liberty in Christ, but don't use your liberty to let sinful flesh run wild." But he adds in verse 13b: "use your liberty to love and serve one another."

Because we are made free from the law does not mean that the law is bad. The law of God is good and right. Only in Christ we do not feel forced to obey it. Rather we feel glad to obey it.

We love God who first loved us and made us free by the death of His Son on the cross. Therefore we fight against our lazy, sinful, flesh and try hard to please our dear God and Savior by loving our neighbor and serving him. We try to do what the Holy Spirit teaches and urges us to do in love.

In the old days of slavery in Dixie a southern gentleman was watching a slave auction. After they had sold many slaves that morning a young, beautiful Negro girl stepped on the auction block. The southern gentleman bought her for $500. After the auction the gentlemen came to the slave pen to get their slaves. Finally the beautiful girl stood alone in the pen. The man who bought her did not come to get her. She said to the auctioneer, "Where is the man who bought me?" The auctioneer replied: "He says to let you go free."

The girl was overcome with joy and thankfulness to such a kind man. She said to the auctioneer, "Where does he live? I must find him; I want to be his slave all my life."

So God has loved us and bought us with the blood of His own dear Son. He has freed us from Satan's evil power. Oh, may we want to be His slaves all our life and forever in heaven.

Amen.