Independence Day

Pentecost 5 (July 1, 2007)

Rev. Steven D. Spencer

Galatians 3:23-29

23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Happy Independence Day! When I was growing up we loved Independence Day. After Christmas and Easter it was the most beloved holiday of our household. It was an institution, a tradition. Family would gather; the grill would be lit, hotdogs, hamburgers, and barbequed chicken. And all the extras, potato salad, cold slaw, corn on the cob, and watermelon, what a feast. And to top it all off we would take turns cranking the old ice-cream maker. Home made ice cream for desert.

On the morning of the fourth we had another tradition. Dad would always ask us boys a question. What is today? Of course one of us would say the Fourth of July, dad. He would respond, "that's the date, but what is today?" He wouldn't stop asking that question until one of us would say, Independence Day.

My dad was a World War II veteran. I've noticed that when someone has served this nation as a soldier, especially for the purpose of guaranteeing freedom from tyranny, that the idea of independence or freedom is an extremely moving concept to that person. It doesn't matter whether they protected those at the homeland or those unable to protect themselves in a foreign nation. To my dad he'd rather die than to have been taken captive. But he was not the only one to share such sentiments. On March 23, 1775 a man with similar convictions spoke. Let me read just a portion of that speech. "The question before the House is one of an awful moment for this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery."  Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" The man that spoke those words was Patrick Henry. Independence, freedom it's a call from the ancient of days.

I believe that the Apostle Paul holds those same convictions. That once freed from bondage why would anyone allow himself or herself to again be put into captivity. Paul says it this way in Galatians 3:23: “Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.” We were locked in bondage, held in captivity by the law. Even so the law has its purpose. The proper function of the Law is to make us guilty, to humble us, to kill us, to lead us down to hell, and to take everything away from us, but all with the purpose that we may be justified, exalted, made alive, lifted up to heaven, and endowed with all things. Therefore it doesn’t merely kill, but it kills for the sake of life. And that life comes from being justified by faith in Christ.

That faith in Christ isn’t something new, nor did it have to be instituted, because it was already present in the old covenant; but it was just covered up by the Law, so that at a divinely appointed time it could be revealed. You see Verse 23 doesn’t mean that the way of salvation was unknown in the Old Testament. But it does mean that the Mosaic Law, especially the ceremonial Law, places the Old Testament believers under bondage.  At the same time it also points to the Christ who is to come. The last phrase could be translated: "for the purpose of the faith which was about to be revealed." Law cannot give life. Law cannot justify. Law prepares for Christ. It convicts people of sin. The Law always accuses. Look at the Ten Commandments. The ceremonial Law, can’t save, but it does points to Christ.

Listen to verse 24 again: “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.” The law was put in charge. The King James Version says: “the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.” The New American Standard says: “the law is our tutor to lead us to Christ.” With so many different ideas of how this should be translated what would have the original hearers have understood this passage to mean?

To the Greeks and Romans this would be understood as a tutor or guardian a guide of boys. It would be a trustworthy slave who was charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The slave had complete charge over the boy’s life for that boy's own good. The boys were not allowed so much as to even step out of the house without them, until arriving at the age of manhood. In our society it would be like a military academy or a juvenile penal facility. Kids had no freedom, no independence. That was the function of the law. The law leads us, constrains us, and makes us prisoners. But the time of the custodianship came to an end when Christ came.

Verse 25 “For now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” Since Christ by His coming has fulfilled the promises, we are not longer under the custodian. We have been set free.

Luther says: Paul is speaking here about the faith transmitted through Christ at a specific time. For having assumed human nature, Christ came once for all at one time, abolishing the Law with all its effects, and by His death delivered the entire human race from sin and eternal death. . . . But as long as we live in a flesh that is not free of sin, the Law keeps coming back and performing its function, locking us up again. More in one person and less in another, not to harm but to save. . . . If I look at Christ, I am completely holy and pure, and I know nothing at all about the Law; for Christ is my leaven. But if I look at my flesh, I feel greed, sexual desire, anger, pride, the terror of death, sadness, fear, hate, grumbling, and impatience against God. To the extent that these are present, Christ is absent; or if He is present, He is present weakly. . . . Just as Christ came once physically, according to time, abolishing the entire Law, abolishing sin, and destroying sin, death and the devil, so He comes to us spiritually without interruption and continually smothers and kills these things in us. Now that we have been set free do we desire to become enslaved again? Yet when we walk according to the flesh we again are under the tutorship of the law. Where there’s faith, there’s independence from the law.

Paul says: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” When was your Independence Day? When you were baptized! Maybe your Independence Day didn’t have fireworks, but it had fire. For you were baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. On your Independence Day you were clothed in the most brilliant of all garments, Jesus Christ. You have been set free from sin, death and the devil by Christ own death and blood, by His cross.

Romans 6:3-4 says: “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” Baptism gives total freedom from sin, death, and the power of the devil. In baptism we have put Christ on like we put on a coat. His righteousness covers our sin and unworthiness. We walk in the newness of life. 

Under the law there was separation, separation between Jew and the Gentile Greek, separation between the slave and free, separation between male and female and separation between God and man. But now “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” When Jesus defeated sin, death and the devil He broke down the door of separation.  He restored a right relationship between God and man. In Christ, there is no Law; there is no distinction among persons at all. There is neither Jew nor Greek, but all are one; for there is one body, one Spirit, one hope of the calling of all, one and the same Gospel, one faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, one Christ, the Lord of all.

You have been set free. You walk in newness of life. May today be your Independence Day.  For you are freed from the law to serve the LORD your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things. (John 8:36) For “If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.” You free indeed, for your sins are forgiven for Jesus has set you free.  Happy Independence Day! In Jesus name, Amen!