In church I always hear many who talk about being free in Christ Jesus.  I used to use the phrase all the time, not really understanding all that it meant (I probably don’t understand all that it means now :).  In many circles that I was in, liberty was reduced to being free so that I could where what I wanted or eat what I wanted.  I wasn’t bound by religious “do’s and don’ts.”  I was now free in Him; so don’t judge me or try to condemn me.

While some of those things are true, to reduce liberty to just that was very shallow.  To think that God would send His Son so that I could wear what I wanted to wear…. there must be more to it than just that.  While I could spend a bunch or time getting into this, I believe there’s one starting point I want to make in this post.  It comes out of Gal 5:13-14.  It states that we are not to use our liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, BUT through love serve one another.  How many times have you heard someone say “Yes, I’ve been given liberty so that through love I can serve you/others”?

Vs 14 says that all the law is fulfilled in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  I thought about serving others and loving others as I love myself.  How can I do that?  What does that look like?  What came to my heart was Luke 6:31 which tells us to do to others what we would want them to do to us.

Where am I trying to go with this?  We’ve been given Freedom/Liberty to serve others, to truly love people as we love ourselves.  I thought about the people in the building where I live.  If I didn’t know the Lord, how would I want them to treat me?  I’d want them to do everything in their power to reach me with the Gospel.  I’d want them to not worry about being embarrassed, not worrying what I will say; not being so busy that they wouldn’t tell me the truth; not being afraid to bring to me LIFE; not sitting back and watching me go to HELL!  It really shook me…. If that’s what I’d want them to do, then why wasn’t I doing the same for them?  Because I wasn’t walking in the Liberty by which Christ had made me free.  I was entangled by the yoke of bondage (pride, selfishness, selfish ambition, fear, etc).

The world is looking for truth.  They are diving into magic, sorcery, all different types of religion, etc.  They are searching…. we have the remedy…. but will we sit back and watch them die…. or BRING THEM THE TRUTH, not hoping that they’ll “come to church” but bring the church (you) to them?  People are looking for people to really be the church; to love them and speak the truth in love, and really show His love by loving one another!

What are you gonna do with the Freedom you’ve been given?

J2