The Basic Law of a Well-Lived Life—Freedom Fighter Essay
When Bill Welte began writing Freedom Fighter several years ago, his intent was to help men find freedom from the bondage of addictions and life-dominating habits. That struggle for freedom is as old as human civilization, and it has always been a spiritual issue. Our sin leads us into bondage; whatever form the bondage may take.
The Apostle Paul, in Galatians 5, speaks about liberty and bondage. He speaks about the abuse of liberty—allowing it to become an “occasion for the flesh.” He also gives a list of sins—the works of the flesh—that easily become those life-dominating sins. There is a lot of bad news in Galatians 5!
The chapter also gives us good news! By divine inspiration, the Apostle tells us how to live in freedom, how to live well. “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:12&13)
Those who read Freedom Fighter and have fought the addiction battle know that we always make it “all about us.” Addictions bring a self-centeredness to our lives that is really ugly! The deeper the addiction, the more self-centered we become. Paul offers us an antidote to that problem.
He tells us not to fall into the trap of satisfying our flesh because we have liberty. Rather, we are to “through love serve one another.” In that statement and the words that follow it we find the basic law of a well-lived life. Like the Lord Jesus, we choose to live for others instead of ourselves. That is not complicated, and it is not easy. In fact, it is almost impossible unless we catch the rest of Paul’s teaching in Galatians 5.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Vs. 16) While we live in liberty, we yield our lives and our liberty to the Holy Spirit. He empowers us to walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh. As His work continues in our lives, we live a well-lived life—a life devoted to others. That protects us from the self-centered behaviors that lead us into addictions.
For the follower of Jesus, all of this is about choices. We can choose a well-lived life, or we can choose to use our liberty as an occasion for the flesh. Just know we cannot have it both ways. By God’s grace, let’s make the right choice . . . one day at a time. -- John Strain is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Toms River and a frequent contributor to Freedom Fighter
When Bill Welte began writing Freedom Fighter several years ago, his intent was to help men find freedom from the bondage of addictions and life-dominating habits. That struggle for freedom is as old as human civilization, and it has always been a spiritual issue. Our sin leads us into bondage; whatever form the bondage may take.
The Apostle Paul, in Galatians 5, speaks about liberty and bondage. He speaks about the abuse of liberty—allowing it to become an “occasion for the flesh.” He also gives a list of sins—the works of the flesh—that easily become those life-dominating sins. There is a lot of bad news in Galatians 5!
The chapter also gives us good news! By divine inspiration, the Apostle tells us how to live in freedom, how to live well. “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:12&13)
Those who read Freedom Fighter and have fought the addiction battle know that we always make it “all about us.” Addictions bring a self-centeredness to our lives that is really ugly! The deeper the addiction, the more self-centered we become. Paul offers us an antidote to that problem.
He tells us not to fall into the trap of satisfying our flesh because we have liberty. Rather, we are to “through love serve one another.” In that statement and the words that follow it we find the basic law of a well-lived life. Like the Lord Jesus, we choose to live for others instead of ourselves. That is not complicated, and it is not easy. In fact, it is almost impossible unless we catch the rest of Paul’s teaching in Galatians 5.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Vs. 16) While we live in liberty, we yield our lives and our liberty to the Holy Spirit. He empowers us to walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh. As His work continues in our lives, we live a well-lived life—a life devoted to others. That protects us from the self-centered behaviors that lead us into addictions.
For the follower of Jesus, all of this is about choices. We can choose a well-lived life, or we can choose to use our liberty as an occasion for the flesh. Just know we cannot have it both ways. By God’s grace, let’s make the right choice . . . one day at a time. -- John Strain is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Toms River and a frequent contributor to Freedom Fighter
Dig This Quote: See that you are not suddenly saddened by the adversities of this world, for you do not know the good they bring. -- John of the Cross
Determined Digging: Level 1: Psalm 30:5 Level 2: Psalm 101:1-5
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