Wednesday, 30 December 2020
The Redemption Plan
Reading: Galatians 4: 4-7
Scripture: “And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.” (Galatians 4: 6,7)
Reflection: People who are bored sometimes do crazy things to pass the time, which is part of the reason that since 2011, at least 250 people around the world have died while taking selfies. No doubt, up to the last minute, and even perhaps in that last minute, there was a feeling of exhilaration, to be on top of a skyscraper or at the edge of a cliff. That euphoria becomes addictive and, ultimately, fatal for some.
Human beings have a remarkable way of pursuing this exhilaration that freedom affords us. Yet, somehow, in many cases, the very thing which we celebrate and chase, has the power to enslave. Pause long enough to look carefully and you will see that that which enslaves is filling a void in our lives. It provides us with the salve of believing that we are free and, in some cases, invincible.
In these four short verses, in his letter to the Galatians, Paul summarizes God’s very clear redemption plan in a pretty straightforward manner. Humanity is enslaved by sin and the law has defined the outcomes of sin. God sent the Incarnate Christ into the world to break the hold of sin on us. So, now we should no longer be slaves to sin. Not only are we free, but we also are now sons and daughters, and hence, heirs to the salvation that God offers. This is what we are meant to own, freedom in Christ, salvation freely given.
What a gift to have, right there, already given and ours to simply accept. And, this week after Christmas, is a good time to turn our focus fully on that gift. Allow the Light of the World to shine into any void you identify in your life and purposefully pursue that ultimate freedom in Christ, which is yours.
Meditation: Whatever is true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy, think about such things.
Prayer: God who sanctifies, lead us away from sin, strengthen our minds so that we can focus anew, and help us to enjoy the joy of Your salvation. Amen.
St. Jude’s Church
Stony Hill
Anglican Diocese of Jamaica and The Cayman Islands
30 December 2020
