August 9, 2018

The Law of Freedom

“But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does.”  James 1:25

Perhaps some words jump off the page at us as we read this verse of Scripture: there is a law that gives freedom.  Interesting, isn’t it?  We usually think of law giving punishment or consequence.  But the law that was fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah is first, a perfect law.  It is everything the law in the Old Testament pointed to and tried to reach, but could not attain.  Second, this perfect law gives freedom.

This helps us to understand things like the Sermon on the Mount and especially the Beatitudes in Matthew’s gospel.  Those chapters are an invitation to live under the law of liberty and freedom.  We are not to trample on it, cheapening God’s grace, but are called to live up to it – live up to freedom.

What areas of your life feel trapped?  Friends, there is a law of freedom available to you – a law that liberates rather than enslaves.  It is a law of love, compassion and filled with God’s great grace.  Let us search out the deeper meaning of the “royal law” as James later calls it.  Let us act in accordance with this law, walking in love, forgiveness, kindness and gentleness.  James writes that we will be blessed in what we do.

The women I have met in prisons around the country would tend to think of the law as the punishment for their actions.  Jesus came so that we may know a different law that sets us free, even for those are confined to a six by nine cell.