Galatians 5:1-26 KJV 1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. 7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. 9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. 11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased. 12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you. 13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

No one likes the feeling of being force to do something that they do not like to do. The work place is full of things one does not like to do, but in order to keep a job it must be done. A job is enslavement to a point. It allowing oneself to be under authority of someone other then yourself, though at any point you have freedom to walk away, though it irresponsible to do so on many jobs, because some jobs it could cost another person their life. Those tangled by a job they can not walk away from is also enslaved by it, no matter how will you like your job. All the time people entangle themselves by responsibility. Yet responsibility is not a yoke of bondage beyond social law of obedience. There are things in our life that enslaves us. Children enslave parents in regards of raising and taking care of them, yet at the same time, parents are the boss of the children as they are growing up into adulthood. They are responsible of what their children do until a certain age. Responsibility as enslavement. Religion can be an enslavement if the laws of the religious group is such that unless you do it you are not one of them. Faith itself is not like circumcision of the flesh. Religion is freeing if it based on circumcision of the heart. The cutting away or getting rid of the sin in one's life. It not about cutting off a hand that stole. It laying aside the sin of thievry and not picking it up. It like not committing adultery, after one has already done so. It saying no to law of sin that caused bondage to the sin. To say no is bondage to the law of God, but it also a law of freedom from being tangled in bad situation that affects your spouse's life as well as the other spouse's life of your lover. There is good enslavement. Enslavement to the law of love. The law of love that protects others as well as yourself. It is a yoke or bondage God established for mankind, to love Him first and other's second. To love God is to love your neighbor. God is honor by obedience to love others and to respect others. Works of sin might feel good for awhile, but it profits little. Some would say unless you declare it wrong how can it be wrong. What wrong in God's eyes should be wrong to us. It is in direct disobedience to God. Yet how is man's rules distinguished by God's law. If I read the ten commandments and obey all ten, then I have not sinned. But if I look at the law of love and say all is okay as long as it hurts no one, then how can something be sin that seems to be okay with everyone else. God's law is about love but also respect for one another. It about not always following after the one's own desires but laying them aside to keep peace when it comes to sexual immorality. Why did Paul instruct one man and one woman in marriage. God's original plan of marriage was one man, and one woman. For centuries even in Bible days there were men with more then one wife. It was matter of prosperity as well as desire. Women were consider property in the Bible. They did not have the same freedom as men. What if a woman wanted two husbands, today no one would think a thing about it. No it would still today be the talk of the town. The point being society has controlled sexual sin for years. If it is behind closed doors, who cares. Yet what God declares and established is for a purpose. Marriage is sacred. Designed to bear offspring, and to have most importantly a partner in life. An equal to share one's life with. God formed woman and gave woman to Adam. Yet she was not possession, or property but a living creature that was like him. The point is the law of liberty does have restriction. God's law of liberty is not man's law of liberty. God's way is best. It protects the children, it protects the home, it protects society against corruption. To love is to respect other's. The entanglement of more then one spouse can lead to jealousy and anger. There is point, it not judgmental, it looking at God's proper design and saying why is anything else wrong. Why would God not desire man to be happy with free thinking ideas. Especially if there benefits to such a life style. God still talked to people that did not obey his law of one woman and one man. Most Biblical leaders had more then one wife until you get to the New Testament. Why was all of a sudden certain things consider wrong. It was always wrong, but God never looked at sin of a faithful man to him. God never cast out a loyal person to Him despite their sin. Faith had great weight with God. Then why live holy unto God. To live a dedicated life to God if God never stop speaking to men of faith despite their life style? God has called his people to be holy. To be holy is to live a life of purity. How is holiness defined? Is it based on scriptural laws of do's and don'ts or the law of love, based on fruits of the Spirit of God, (love,joy, peace, gentleness and so forth). Abraham family background was idolators. Life style of idolators were often not one man and one woman. Abraham culture was against the laws of God. Abraham chose himself to worship only one God. Cain family line was the first group of people to have more then one wife. When culture intermix laws of fidelity change based on changing God's law and following after desire. People tend to follow society law and not after holiness. If people in society act hateful or angry everyone else mimicks what is taught. If society learns to hate a group of people based on proverty, then all of society learns to hate these people. When someone decides to show love to a group of people that one is taught to hate, the it opposition to society law. What is my point is society has changed the law of God and the law of love to fit their design of what love is, through chasing after their own desires, then people no not it is wrong in God's eyes. God seems not to chaste man for society laws as much as He does for disobedience to Him. When God speaks are we in obedience to Him or are we still trying to do it our way. God's law of liberty is the fruits of His Spirit. The corruption of God's intent will last for decades. A day coming when we all live by God's plan for mankind, a day when a new hope will come through eternal life. The corruption in our world today will not be in Heaven. We can not take our sin with us when we die. Those saved by God's merciful grace will go and live eternity in a place of righteousness and purity. Hopefully this earth will be good training ground on living in the presence of God's holiness. To live a life pleasing to God. Abraham was called righteous. David was called righteous. His life style not of God, but as society dictated it because he was a king. Can we remove the shackles of society rules to live holy unto God. To live as one man and one woman in holy matrimony. To live in honor of worship to Christ. God separated the law of man from faith. Can you live by faith, and walk in freedom God has provided already through faith in His Son. Dear Heavenly Father you called us to be a peculiar people to walk by Spirit and to be people of good works. Help us to follow you in obedience to your word. In Jesus precious name, Amen. Continual Scripture Study for Devotion: Titus 2:11-15 KJV 11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. http://www.turtle30cshell.com