The story was told some years ago of a pastor who found the roads

blocked one Sunday morning and was forced to skate on the river

to get to church, which he did. When he arrived the elders of

the church were horrified that their preacher had skated on the

Lord's day. After the service they held a meeting where the

pastor explained that it was either skate to church or not go at

all. Finally one elder asked, "Did you enjoy it?" When the

preacher answered, "No," the board decided it was all right!

Today in the Word, MBI, December, 1989, p. 12

"Give Me Liberty," continues our series on "Gleanings from Galatians" by examining Galatians 5:1-15. At this point in the text, Paul has completed his argument for salvation by grace rather than works, and based on this argument, he is appealing to the Galatians to appropriate the fullness of their inheritance in Christ.

In the first verse of chapter 5, Paul reminds the Galatians that Christ died so that they might be free, not so that they could continue to struggle under the yoke of the law. In Christ (and only in Him), we are free from the burden of having to earn our salvation.

Braveheart illustration. William Wallace

This freedom in Christ is consistent with...

...The righteousness of Christ (verses 2-6)

If we choose to give up our freedom, then we take on the burden of the whole law and must attain to the standard of perfection, a yoke only Christ has been able to bear. Additionally, since our righteousness comes from the Lord, we only have to wait to receive it; when it comes, and it's real, it will be expressed through love.

Ted Stallard undoubtedly qualifies as the one of "the

least." Turned off by school. Very sloppy in appearance.

Expressionless. Unattractive. Even his teacher, Miss Thompson,

enjoyed bearing down her red pen -- as she placed Xs beside his

many wrong answers.

If only she had studied his records more carefully. They

read:

1st grade: Ted shows promise with his work and attitude,

but (has) poor home situation.

2nd grade: Ted could do better. Mother seriously ill.

Receives little help from home.

3rd grade: Ted is good boy but too serious. He is a

slow learner. His mother died this year.

4th grade: Ted is very slow, but well-behaved. His

father shows no interest whatsoever.

Christmas arrived. The children piled elaborately

wrapped gifts on their teacher's desk. Ted brought one too. It

was wrapped in brown paper and held together with Scotch Tape.

Miss Thompson opened each gift, as the children crowded

around to watch. Out of Ted's package fell a gaudy rhinestone _.3

bracelet, with half of the stones missing, and a bottle of cheap

perfume.

The children began to snicker. But she silenced them by

splashing some of the perfume on her wrist, and letting them

smell it. She put the bracelet on too.

At day's end, after the other children had left, Ted came

by the teacher's desk and said, "Miss Thompson, you smell just

like my mother. And the bracelet looks real pretty on you. I'm

glad you like my presents." He left.

Miss Thompson got down on her knees and asked God to

forgive her and to change her attitude.

The next day, the children were greeted by a reformed

teacher -- one committed to loving each of them. Especially the

slow ones. Especially Ted.

Surprisingly -- or maybe, not surprisingly, Ted began to

show great improvement. He actually caught up with most of the

students and even passed a few.

Graduation came and went. Miss Thompson heard nothing

from Ted for a long time. Then, one day, she received this note:

Dear Miss Thompson:

I wanted you to be the first to know.

I will be graduating second in my class.

Love, Ted

Four years later, another note arrived:

Dear Miss Thompson:

They just told me I will be graduating first in my class.

I wanted you to be first to know.

The university has not been easy, but I liked it.

Love, Ted

And four years later:

Dear Miss Thompson:

As of today, I am Theodore Stallard, M.D. How about

that? I wanted you to be the first to know.

I am getting married next month, the 27th to be exact. I

want you to come and sit where my mother would sit if she were

alive. You are the only family I have now; Dad died last year.

Miss Thompson attended that wedding, and sat where Ted's

mother would have sat. The compassion she had shown that young

man entitled her to that privilege.

Let's have some real courage, and start giving to "one of

the least." He may become a Ted Stallard. Even if that doesn't

happen, we will have been faithful to the One who has always

treated us -- as unworthy as we are -- like very special people.

Show me a church where there is love, and I will show you a

church that is a power in the community. In Chicago a few years

ago a little boy attended a Sunday school I know of. When his

parents moved to another part of the city the little fellow still

attended the same Sunday school, although it meant a long,

tiresome walk each way. A friend asked him why he went so far,

and told him that there were plenty of others just as good nearer his home.

"They may be as good for others, but not for me," was his reply.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because they love a fellow over there," he replied.

If only we could make the world believe that we loved them there

would be fewer empty churches, and a smaller proportion of our

population who never darken a church door. Let love replace duty in our

church relations, and the world will soon be evangelized.

Moody's Anecdotes, Page 71-72

...The good news of the cross (verses 7-12)

Paul reminds the Galatians that before this diversion from the legalists, they were running a good

race. They understood and were doing their best to live out the gospel . Now, however, they have

been deceived, and the price they are paying for this deception is not small. Just as a little leaven can work through a whole loaf of bread, so this seemingly small diversion is threatening the whole of their lives with the Lord. If we insist on saving ourselves, we lose the power of the cross and the grace it released.

....The law of God (verses 13-15)

Paul summarizes the law with one word: love. This is to be our aim. The freedom that is part of our calling is not freedom from trying to live a life that is pleasing to God, but freedom to love.

Nothing can choke the heart and soul out of walking with God like

legalism. Rigidity is the most certain sign that the Disciplines have

spoiled. The disciplined person is the person who can live appropriately in

life.

Consider the story of Hans the tailor. Because of his reputation, an

influential entrepreneur visiting the city ordered a tailor-made suit.

But when he came to pick up his suit, the customer found that one sleeve

twisted that way and the other this way; one shoulder bulged out and the

caved in. He pulled and managed to make his body fit. As he returned home

on the bus, another passenger noticed his odd appearance and asked if Hans the

tailor had the suit. Receiving an affirmative reply, the man remarked,

"Amazing! I knew that Hans was a good tailor, but I had no idea he could

make a suit fit so perfectly someone as deformed as you."

Often that is just what we do in the church. We get some idea of what

the Christian faith should look like: then we push and shove people in to

the most grotesque configurations until they fit wonderfully! That is

death. It is a wooden legalism which destroys the soul. Richard J. Foster