FREEDOM TO DO GOOD!

WORD FROM THE CENTER: MONDAY, JULY 7, 2025

Welcome to “Word from The Center” MONDAY, a devotional word from the Center of our faith, Jesus Christ, with reflections on His Word. Today’s reading is Galatians 6:9-10, where the Bible says,

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

FREEDOM TO DO GOOD!

Would you agree with me that there is a weariness in our culture today, especially for those who try to reflect biblical values in their lives? When Christians “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), our culture often responds by refusing to acknowledge any limitation on one’s lifestyle and ridiculing the notion of their being any accountability concerning the biblical view of truth, love, morality, or, for that matter, even life. What has been ramping up the last few years (and this is a strategic thing for the “secular-pietistic-statists” in our midst) is the public shaming, demonization, intimidation, and even legal punishments for those who merely confess Christ, His grace, His mercy, His love, and His service to and for all. In that sense, it is a different time in America. The notion that we are “freed to serve” others on God’s terms has been recast as, “Free to do whatever I want unless you can stop me.” And those of us with a proper sense of our own sin, brokenness, and need for grace realize that two “freedoms” are at work in our culture today. One is real freedom; the other counterfeit. One freedom flows from a grace relationship with God in Christ strives to freely do what is right in God’s eyes. The other is license to do whatever we please on our own terms, as if the solutions to our deepest problems were within our grasp.

In the book of Galatians, St. Paul instructs us in the power of authentic freedom which comes from Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, and it is offered to all as a gift of grace (Galatians 5:1, 13). In our passage today, Paul reminds us that this authentic freedom has real purpose in this life -- it is a freedom to serve. It is the joyful opportunity to reflect the gracious love we’ve received so that others might also come to know the real freedom that Christ has made possible for them. The power of this “good news” freedom enables you to live life with the enduring perspective that Christ has set you free now and on into eternity. That’s a freedom in Christ that’s always looking for ways to do good “as we have opportunity.” That’s a freedom active in love (Galatians 5:6), eagerly looking for ways to be His people for others until we reap the harvest of God’s work for us in Christ. Wow, that’s freedom IN ACTION by the power of His love and mercy, all received by faith alone!

So, on this July 4th weekend, be reminded of the fact that you need this love and the world needs it too. Because of the freedom that believers in Jesus have in Him, along with the gift of temporal freedom that God has granted citizens of this country, you have numerous opportunities to SHARE THIS LOVE! As believers, we “get to” shift our focus away from ourselves—which is hard to do, I’ll grant you. But we can, because Christ always has His gracious, loving eyes on us. He enables and empowers us to face whatever we are up against today. This allows us to see more clearly the opportunities for love and service that are presented to us each day.

In Christ, YOU ARE FREE FROM being ruled by your burdens and YOU ARE FREE FOR doing good to others, all to the glory of God. So, take up the challenge to do good, as you “have opportunity,” not because you have to, but because you get to. Remember these things as well: money can’t give life meaning; power and prestige, even education and technology, can be both a blessing and a curse. But living each day in the freedom that comes by faith in Christ, and then looking for ways to love and serve those whom God brings into your path, that’s a way of life that endures forever. Freedom provides opportunities to do good work. In Christ, look for those things today. Others will be blessed that you do, and so will you!

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, help us to be ready to do good as we have opportunity, to share the love and grace we’ve received so abundantly from You. AMEN

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Remembering the LRCL’s First Fourth of July in D.C.: Rejoicing Today!