Two Yokes: Slavery or Liberty

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1).

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Mat 11:29–30).

Choose Your Yoke Wisely

The Yoke of Slavery: the treadmill of graceless law-keeping; personal faith but unable to grasp inner peace;  professing saving faith but a restless mind; always agitated; always striving; continuously plotting the next move; worries about appearances; unable to enter meaningful God-given rest (Heb 4:9-10); relationships strained; worried about self-promotion; deaf to the voice of the Good Shepherd; acting religious rather than understanding the path to a simple, humble, trusting God-honoring life; always on the move but not accomplishing anything of lasting, eternal worth; comparing oneself with others, wanting desperately to be on the top; not being able to perceive what is controlling the heart and afflicting the soul; entrapped by idols lodged in the heart (Eze 14:3); not satisfied; wanting something more than the fountain of living water (Jer 2:13); never escaping the inner feelings of dread that weighs on the mind; not perceiving the need for escape; having begun in the Spirit through forgiveness and new birth but now trying to find perfection and satisfaction in the flesh; confessing freedom but really imprisoned within; unknowingly cutting oneself off from the ocean of heaven’s grace––the only means of release; confounded by the inner peace of those walking in true freedom; failing to understand the source of God-given freedom; choosing a different means, a different way, a different path than the freedom given by the Spirit; thinking that progress is being made but not sure of how to judge progress; digressing in love of the Savior rather than progressing; building on the foundation of wood hay and stubble rather than gold, silver, and precious stones (1 Cor 3:12); The joy in the Holy Spirit is diminished, and a dull religiousness settles into the heart; self-love and self-motivated love of others replaces the self-giving love of the Savior––the difference is no longer understood; the word of life is no longer imparting life, having become a lifeless code.

The Yoke of Liberty: Responding, “yes Lord I take your yoke,” knowing that it is a gift from the gentle and humble Savior; it is a light yoke of unfathomable grace; finding blessed rest of the soul; accepting that freedom that brings rest within is freely given not earned; wanting nothing more than to be encapsulated by his love and grace; internalizing the grace that flows from the cross and experiencing it as the only means of living in joyful liberty; with thankfulness, as children of God, receiving every good gift from the Father (James 1:17); living in the shadow of his favor (Ps 91:1); confessing remaining brokenness to the Eternal Healer (Acts 10:38), trusting for daily restoration deep within; receiving his grace that is sufficient in our weakest moments, revealing resurrection power (2 Cor 12:9); receiving grace in order to impart the grace received, knowing it is more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20:35); surrendering to the will of the Blessed One; willing to suffer; joining into Christ’s death and resurrection as a humble servant of the Master; longing above all else to remain in the presence of his mercy and grace––the place of fulness of joy; knowing experientially that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty (2 Cor 3:17); starting in the Spirit we daily live in the Spirit, being changed by the Spirit from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:18); awaiting complete liberty when we see him face to face (1 John 3:2-3).