Most people enjoy traveling as they express their freedom to experience the world. But the enjoyment typically wears off after awhile as it can get very tiring being always on the move, sleeping in strange beds, eating at different places, and not being familiar with the surroundings nor with the local people. Then, it can get to be exhausting, even dangerous.
How about traveling for years at a time? On primitive wooden boats? Or on foot through the desert? For thousands of miles. Why would someone endure that?
For Jesus Christ.
Paul undertook his mission to spread the good news of Jesus Christ by traveling to all parts of the known world. In those days, this would be on foot, by donkey, or by boat. He endured incredible hardships during his travels. Yet he persevered.
On one long journey, Paul visited with the people of Galatia. Afterwards, he wrote them a letter. The people of Galatia were inspired by Pauls’ message, but they were also confused. They had been raised in the customs of their time and were subservient to the law. Paul explained to them that the law had served a purpose as a guardian and a protector from transgressions. But then he tells them something changed:
“But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:25 – 28)
We are all one in Christ. And faith has made it so. And through Christ, Paul tell us we are endowed with the Holy Spirit:
“God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:4 – 7)
Heirs of God. What greater comfort is there than knowing we are God’s children? So Paul tells the people of Galatia and all of us what it means to be a Christian:
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one commandment: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13 – 14)
This is the message Paul traveled the world to share. Now freed by Jesus, we can embrace one another in faith and love never to be enslaved again by vain ambition and the pursuit of earthly treasure:
“For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)