Monday 23 August 2021
- Bible Book:
- Colossians
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. (vs 8-10)
Background
As I was reading this passage, the word that came to my head was 'freedom'. With lockdown easing over the last few months, life looks very different. Our new sense of freedom is very strange – we certainly have not returned to how we used to live pre-pandemic, as we still have face masks, testing and hand-sanitising. Of course I wouldn’t change this, it's important that we continue to keep ourselves safe, but it is definitely a new definition of living freely. And there wasn’t, or not for me anyway, a defining moment of liberation. While 19 July in England was billed as 'Freedom Day', it felt very much like an ordinary day – we sort of sleepwalked into a new chapter.
This is so different to the freedom that Paul writes about in this passage. When writing about life before becoming a follower of Christ, Paul reflects on the way that a life lived by the flesh (living in human sin, without the presence of the Spirit) holds us captive. There are so many times where I have let my human nature rule – whether this is speaking out in anger, being preoccupied with material possessions, or indulging in gossip, and these situations nearly always end badly. I think the freedom that Paul writes about is the peace that comes from when Christ “forgave us all our sins”. (verse 13)
Unlike 'Freedom Day' at the end of lockdown, I can pin down the defining moment that I felt liberation through Christ. It was my baptism, like Paul writes in verse 12. This isn’t a freedom that comes from being able to live however I like, but a deeper sense of freedom, where I can live in peace knowing that my sins are forgiven, I can try again, and that God has made me alive in Christ.
To Ponder:
- How does the knowledge of God’s forgiveness give you a sense of peace or freedom?
- How can we share this different idea of freedom with others, telling them the good news of Christ?
- How can we work to help other countries affected by the pandemic to be able to live more freely?
Prayer
I pray that others may come to know what this different idea of freedom is, and that I can show others the peace I feel with Christ through shining out his love. I also pray that we can help other countries around the world to be able to reach their 'Freedom Day' through sharing resources and ideas.