Galatians 5:13
You, my
brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the
sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
There
is no doubt that we have problems in our society. Our system is flawed, as all
systems are. There is inequality that needs to be addressed. Having said that,
we also have incredible freedom. In America we have the freedom to assemble,
the freedom to speak our mind, the freedom to move freely throughout our
country, the freedom to choose where we will live and work and play. I
understand that there are limits on these freedoms and that not everyone
experiences them at the same level. Yet, they are there.
What
is often missing in our society today is the understanding that with freedom
comes responsibility. Our freedom does not give us the right to do whatever we
wish. In fact, our freedom is granted to us only as we take the responsibility seriously
and live within its boundaries. When we step over those boundaries, we lose our
freedom. Freedom grants us a certain level of liberty, but it does not grant us
license. When we don’t understand this, we jeopardize the very thing we desire
the most.
As
citizens we have the freedom to assemble. We can assemble for worship, for
entertainment, for pleasure, and even for protest. But this freedom does not give
us the right to riot or destroy property, no matter how “worthy” the cause. As
citizens we the freedom to express our opinions. We can debate and discuss
issues. We can lobby for specific actions or causes. We can make our voice heard.
But this freedom does not give us the right to demean, degrade, or abuse
others. As long as our discourse is civil, we are free, when it becomes
abusive, we forfeit our freedom. True freedom is not unlimited, it has
boundaries and it carries responsibilities.
As
followers of Jesus Christ, we have been set free in an ultimate sense. We have
been set free from our slavery to sin and death. We have been set free from the
demands of the Law. We have been set free to enter into a real, dynamic, personal
relationship with the Living God. As Jesus said in John 8:34-36, “I tell you
the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent
place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you
free, you will be free indeed.”
This
is one of the most amazing truths in the Bible. We all go through life as
slaves to sin. We are dominated by sin. Although we think we are free, we are
in reality bound. When Jesus comes into our lives, we are set free from our bondage
to sin. No longer does sin have control of our lives. By the grace of God, we
have been given an amazing gift; the gift of genuine freedom.
With
this new freedom comes great responsibility. As slaves to sin, we lived our
lives for ourselves. Sin convinced us that we are the most important person in
the world and that whatever makes us happy is within our rights to pursue. We
see this acted out in our world every day. No matter how it is dressed up,
selfishness and self-centeredness rule the day. But when we are set free from
our own selfishness, our lives become other directed. The focus of our life
shifts from indulging ourselves to seeking the good of others. Jesus summarized
our new focus in Mark 12:30-31. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The
second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment
greater than these.”
When
Jesus sets us free, we are called to a higher life. We are free to live the
life God created us to live. Our freedom is not a blank check to do whatever we
wish. It is the freedom to really love and care for others; to seek their best
and to love them as Christ loves them. As Jesus said in John 13:34-35, "A
new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love
one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love
one another." The freedom we have in Christ empowers us to be kind,
compassionate, forgiving, encouraging, supportive, and unselfish. We don’t do
these things to impress others or earn merit. We do them as a natural response
to the mercy and grace of God in our lives.
The
two biggest threats to our freedom are legalism and license. Legalism restricts
our freedom in unhealthy ways. It leads to a self-righteous attitude that
judges others based on our set of rules. On the other hand, license flaunts our
freedom. It takes off all of the boundaries and runs wild. License indulges our
sinful desires. Both of these threats lead us back into bondage.
True
freedom is accepting and understanding both the responsibilities and the
boundaries of our freedom. It is recognizing the limits that God has placed on
our freedom, without adding to those limits. It is recognizing the amazing
latitude that we have, without stepping over God’s boundaries. Genuine freedom
is allowing others the same freedom that we enjoy. Freedom is not a limited
commodity to be horded. It is a gift to the shared.
Galatians 5:1
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment