Hormone Therapy
For, brothers, you were called to freedom. Only do not use the freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love serve one another as slaves. Galatians 5:13
Gain – How did you attain freedom? That’s the question behind Paul’s argument in Galatians. Did you earn your freedom by spiritual effort or noble works or virtuous living? Of course not. None of those things really got you anywhere. At the end of the day, you were just a more moral sinner. If you haven’t realized the truth of this cosmic fact, then you are still living under the curse of the Law. You can’t earn your way to righteousness.
Your freedom is a gift. That’s what grace means. You and I didn’t deserve another chance, but we were given one because God cares. We were rescued from the shackles of sin and set free from inevitable judgment . . . all by grace alone.
Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? My freedom was given to me. Since it is a gift, it comes without strings. Obedience has nothing to do with earning or keeping my gift of freedom. But – obedience has everything to do with how I use my gift. I’m free by grace. Now the question is how I apply that freedom. Paul implores us, and warns us, to manage our hormones.
The Greek word here is aphormes. It literally means “from impetuous tendency, rushing toward something.” You can think of it as a sudden desire or opportunity. The hormones take over and life starts spinning. Paul notes that once you experience the rush of being freed from guilt, you might just take off in the wrong direction. You might let all this freedom go to your head and start acting as though you can do anything you want. Of course, it is possible to do anything you want to. That’s what it means to be free. But doing anything you want to do is not why you are free. Freedom has another purpose.
The great paradox of the Bible is this: You are set free so that you can choose to be a slave. Of course, you can use your freedom for other things. You can return to hormone-controlled living. You can dive into the accumulation end of the pool. You can refuse the master plan of living evangelism. But none of these possibilities will bring you into deep fellowship with God. God takes an enormous risk when He offers the gift of freedom. He risks that you and I will be so overwhelmed with His care and His sacrifice that we will volunteer to serve. God is betting on divine hormone therapy. He is counting on us taking our medication. He never forces us. He waits for us to pick up the pills.
Freedom is life’s double-edged sword. I can use it to cut my own path or I can dedicate it to the service of the Master. I’m free to choose. I can pursue life with impetuous fury, or I can practice hormone therapy by serving others. Have you taken your meds today?
Topical Index: Freedom
