Enslaved? ...or free? (Gal 5:1)

“When Christ freed us,

he meant us to remain free.

Stand firm, therefore,

and do not submit again

to the yoke of slavery.”

(Galatians 5:1)

Huh?
Slavery?!?!?

Slavery ended years ago!!!!!

…but are you sure????

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“At least 12.3 million people around the world

are trapped in forced labour.”

“Forced labour takes different forms, including debt bondage, trafficking and other forms of modern slavery. The victims are the most vulnerable – women and girls forced into prostitution, migrants trapped in debt bondage, and sweatshop or farm workers kept there by clearly illegal tactics and paid little or nothing.”

…says the ILO, the International Labour Organizaltion which since its inception, through awareness campaigns and several programs has worked against and tackled forced labour and the conditions that give rise to it.

…now that is real bad!!!

...but is this the 'only' existent slavery today?

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…what do I call someone who is into and dependant upon drugs if not ‘addict’?

…what do I call someone who has a terrible smoking problem and can’t quite quit if not ‘addict’?

…what do I call someone who ‘MUST’ look at dirty (trying to make it sound milder than it really is) pictures and films/movies if not ‘addict’?

…and we can go on!!!
On and on and on and on and on…
The list is never ending!!!

“addict” this and “addict” that!

…but what is an ‘addict’?
…what is an ‘addiction’?

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Very briefly:

"The term "addiction" is used in many contexts to describe an obsession, compulsion, or excessive physical dependence or psychological dependence."

…says wikipedia.

…and yes
…I think that is very accurate!

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...ok.

...gr8!

…but in simple terms????

In simpler terms it would mean:

I am a slave!

…I am a slave to drugs, nicotine, pornography

or whatever else i choose.

...ooooo but i'm not that bad!!!!

Number 1: people who are addicted are not 'bad' but rather have a problem!!!!

Number 2: even if they were so, who am i to call them 'bad' (...isn't that judging!?!? ;-)

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(not that 'bad')

Really??!!
…well maybe not!
…and glad for you if you aren’t!
…but I don’t necessarily have to be a slave to something soooo bad!

Work is good!
Yet I can be a slave to it too!
…I’d be called a ‘work-aholic’

Money is good!
(if used well)
Yet I can be a slave to that too!
…I’d be called a ‘miser’!

Computer is good!
(it’s a tool to learn, to teach, to play…)
Yet I can be a slave to it!
…I’d be called a ‘computer-addict’

(my dad says I am… :-(
…but I disagree :-)
…uh oh :-O
…denying is a sign I am so! ;-)
…I better shut up! :-p)

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So…
…do you (/still) think slavery is something of the past?! ;-)
…if you do I don’t agree with you at all!!!!!!!! ;-)

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When Christ freed us,

he meant us to remain free.

Stand firm, therefore,

and do not submit again

to the yoke of slavery.

(Galatians 5:1)

…so what is it that st.Paul is actually referring to here?
(I don’t think they had all the stuff I mentioned above! ..and even if they did I’m not sure they were into the terms ‘addict’ as we are today either! ;-)

…well maybe not!
But even so, St.Paul knew it is soooooo very very easy for us to fall slaves to stuff!
Not just the material ‘stuff’ though!

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I can make of myself, even to myself, a false god!
…and enslave myself to that!

I can make of lies a ‘god’
…and enslave myself to that!

Very briefly St.Paul knows that because of our fallen human nature we are subject to lies!
…subject to believing lies!
…subject to living by the same lies!
…subject to becoming slaves to the same lies!

…that is slavery!
…that is sin!

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When I was at the Gżira Parish, teaching Catechism to the young, there was a simple question: What is Sin?

They were young and hence the reply was very simple: Sin is saying 'No' to God and 'Yes' to Satan!

…and isn’t sin precisely that?

I say ‘no’ to God and ‘yes’ to Satan!

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Well its not so 'obvious'…

For example:

Commandment (not suggestion!) Number 5: “Thou shalt not kill”

…oh come on!
…a smoke here and there is ok!
…its not like I’m killing myself!!!
(hmmm …have you not read what’s written on the top of the pack? “Smoking Kills!”)

…oh come on!
…abortion is not killing!
…that’s not a baby in there!
(ah no? …try clicking the picture of the baby on the top right hand side!)

…oh come on!
…so what if I skip Mass just this once?
(well turns out I’m malnutritioning my soul when I do that …why am I so sure I’m not killing something in me when I do that?!)

And we go on…
On and on and on and on…
Believing lies!
Falling slave to them!

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This is what St.Paul is telling us very simply:

Do not believe lies!!
Do not let yourself be enslaved by them!!!

Christ has set us free!!!
Why on earth do I want to be a slave again?!?!

...Why would I want to choose slavery?

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…but do i?

...do i actually choose to be a slave?

St.Paul himself had said:

I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

For what I do is not the good I want to do;

no, the evil I do not want to do—

this I keep on doing.

(Romans 7:18,19)

…yet he also said:

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Jesus said:

"I have come that you may have life

and have it in abundance!"

(John 10:10)

Jesus also said:

"I am the way, the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father

except through me!"

(John 14:16)

and

"If you hold to my teaching,

you are really my disciples.

Then you will know the truth,

and the truth will set you free."

(John 8:31,32)

…so why should I believe lies and be enslaved by them?!?!?!

…yet if I do???
…yes it’s a big deal!
…but its not quite the end of the world! ;-)

…God has given me the Sacrament of Penance!
Let me seek His mercy and be free again!! :-)

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Oh and here’s a little side note:

"...what matters is faith that makes its power

felt through love."

(Galatians 5:6)

That tiny weeny half sentence which st.Paul said …and which we have heard/read in today’s Mass readings... proves ‘Sola Fides’ totally wrong and unbiblical! ;-)

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