HTLC Sermon Notes: 06.29.25 Third Sunday after Pentecost

Freedom is an important word in our world today, an important word and concept in our country. At times it is a controversial word because we do not always agree on what freedom means, or what it should look like. But we can all agree that it is vitally important. During the week to come, we will be celebrating our political freedom, and we are thankful for that. But political freedom is not what we are talking about today.

Freedom is also an important word in the Bible. The defining event in the Old Testament is the freeing of God’s people from slavery in Egypt. And in the New Testament, the defining event is the freeing of God’s people from slavery to sin, death, and the devil.

Today’s second reading has one of the more well-known passages about freedom in the New Testament; it is from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. This passage is sometimes called the “Epistle of Freedom.”

Let’s talk for a moment about what freedom in Jesus means. This is sometimes called gospel freedom. John 8 says, “If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.” Those are great words, but from what and for what are we being set free?

Martin Luther wrote quite a lot about freedom. In his commentary on this passage from Galatians 5, Luther identified 3 freedoms.

First, there is political freedom. This is often what we think of when we think about freedom. And it is important. It is why we can be here this morning, worshiping God, without fear of the consequences. Our ancestors have died for this freedom. And the battle continues in many parts of our world for the political freedom that we enjoy here.

But It wasn’t for political freedom that Christ set us free, says Luther.

The second freedom Luther identifies is freedom of the flesh -- the freedom to do whatever we want, if it feels good. That’s a favorite freedom in our world today, isn’t it? It often seems as if that’s the only freedom that matters to popular culture. I find it kind of reassuring to know that it has been that way at least since the days of Luther, back in the 16th century. Listen to Luther’s words about this freedom, the freedom of the flesh, which sound as though they could have been written today:

“There is the freedom of the flesh, which is chiefly prevalent in the world. Those who have this obey neither God nor the laws but do what they please. This is the freedom which the rabble pursues today…”

While Luther acknowledges those two freedoms, he says that’s not what Paul is talking about here. This third freedom is the freedom of the gospel.

Luther says, “Christ has set us free, not for a political freedom or a freedom of the flesh, but for a theological or spiritual freedom, that is, to make our conscience free and joyful, unafraid of the wrath to come. This is the most genuine freedom; it is immeasurable.”

This is the freedom of the gospel -- the freedom for which Christ died to make us right with God through the forgiveness of our sins. This is the freedom that we celebrate every Sunday. One of our confessions says, “We know we are held captive to sin and cannot free ourselves.” So we turn to Christ and his death on our behalf for freedom from the fear of death.

Many folks in our congregation have experienced the fear of death. You might even remember that about five years ago, your pastor experienced near death. For months after that experience, I was sort of in a holding pattern. I was going through the motions, but I was waiting to die. I did not realize it at the time, of course — I thought I was functioning pretty well. But little by little I came to realize that God wasn’t finished with me yet…that I still had work to do. I decided to live, really live!

I realize how important it is to be freed from the fear of death. It is, truly, the only way to live. When you think about it, neither political freedom nor freedom of the flesh frees us from the fear of death. It is only gospel freedom, the spiritual freedom that we have in Christ, that truly frees us from the fear of death.

Now Gospel freedom doesn’t mean we can do anything we want…we are told to live by the Spirit. We are set free to live in the Spirit.

And what does the Bible say are fruits of the Spirit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

There is no more wonderful description of what it means to live by the Spirit than that. There is no better description of what we have been set free for than that.

And so today, as we gather in freedom to worship our Lord Jesus Christ, I invite us to take some time to examine our lives, and the fruit that we are bearing. Is it love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?

If it is, then let us thank God for the gift of spiritual freedom, won for us by Jesus Christ himself.

It is for this freedom that Christ has set us free. For love, for joy, for peace, Christ has set us free. For patience, kindness, and generosity, Christ has set us free. For faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, Christ has set us free.

Jesus died to free us … we don’t need to do anything! That’s freedom!

And that’s not just good news . . . Amen!