Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1
A woman who had been a slave in one of the southern states became confused about her status after the American Civil War ended. Her relatives told her that she was free, that she no longer belonged to her old master, and did not need to remain in his service. But her old master insisted that she was not free, that President Abraham Lincoln had no right to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. In her confusion, the woman did not know what to do or who to believe. But did her status depend on what she believed, or what her relatives said, or what her old master told her? Of course not. Her status depended on the validity of the Declaration. If the Declaration was valid, she was free, whether she believed it or not. If she remained in service to her old master, she did so unnecessarily. If she left his service, she could do so without any fear of punishment or reprisals. Her status depended on the Proclamation. But her appreciation of her status depended on whether she believed the Proclamation. You and I were once the slaves of sin. But Christ has proclaimed us to be free. Do we believe the proclamation?
We would call a former slave a fool if that slave were to return and be subject to a cruel and hateful former master. Are we any less fools if we return to the gutter of sin that had been so destructive and cruel to us in our unconverted days? There is no wisdom in taking up again the sinful habits that were so cruel to us before. Like a liberated slave, we ought to get as far away as possible from the yokes that once held us in bondage. We do that by standing fast in our liberty.
The term ‘stand fast’ refers to taking a firm position and guarding it staunchly. A guard who stands fast must have proper weapons, must be strong, and must be wise as to the enemy’s tactics. To stand fast in our freedom, you and I have the armour of God to defend us and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, to challenge our foes (Ephesians 6:10-18). For strength and wisdom, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within, providing us with everything we need to stand and endure.
With His own blood, the Lord Jesus has signed a greater Emancipation Declaration that Abraham Lincoln did, freeing us forever from the bondage that was destroying us. He bids us to stand fast in His liberty today. – Jim MacIntosh