You, my brothers and
sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in
love~ Galatians 5:13
Freedom.
For most of us, the word instantly rouses
complex, powerful images and emotions.
Some recall brave men and women who have
fought and died to preserve independence. Others picture flags or battle
reenactments. Some think of Fourth of July celebrations with parades and
fireworks and adorable little children waving flags in one hand and drippy ice cream
cones in the other.
Those unfortunate enough to have never
experienced real freedom have a more rudimentary view of the concept. Their notions
concerning freedom center on economic prospects, religious liberty and open
elections. For them, freedom means having the right to shape their own destiny.
When I hear the word freedom, my mind
immediately jumps to a scene in the movie Braveheart.
The one where William Wallace addresses a mob of reluctant warriors atop his
horse, his face smeared with war paint as he calls to his countrymen…
You have come to fight as free men! And free men you are!
What will you do with your freedom?
I love that movie—partly because I always
end up coveting the life of a 12th century Scottish warrior, and partly
because the words in that scene come very close to hitting on the scriptural take
on freedom and liberty. Galatians 5:1 says…
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~ Galatians 5:1 NIV
The twenty-first century man or woman
tends to view freedom from a mostly emotional, me-centered angle. The current
view of freedom mucks things up and causes all sorts of trouble. When freedom
is viewed through the lens of emotion it becomes self-focused. When the notion
of freedom is self-focused, it quickly becomes all about exercising the right
to do whatever you want, whenever you want and as often as you want. The
outcome of a me-centered view of freedom is self-destruction and social chaos.
God’s view of freedom is very different. The
Bible presents freedom as an opportunity and an obligation. Christian liberty
is both an opportunity to be free from the tyranny of selfishness and bondage
to sin, and an obligation to live wisely and as free as possible from sin
(Hebrews 12:1).
The Bible doesn’t define freedom as the power
to do whatever you want, but rather the ability to stop doing the things you
shouldn’t.
Prior to the life, death and resurrection of
Jesus, human beings were pretty much enslaved to their own passions. Folks were
incapable of internal heart change. They might change their outward behavior
but their hearts remained hard and sinful. That is why law and punishment were
so vital to social stability. The negative consequences that came about as a
result of law breaking were the only way to control the sinful inclinations of
men and women.
Jesus changed that reality dramatically.
When we put our faith in Jesus and begin the process of repentance we become
new people (2nd Corinthians 5:17) and are given new hearts (Ezekiel
11:19). One aspect of being a new creation is having the ability to say no to sinful,
life-controlling behavior. Living out the freedom that Christ died to give us is
not easy. It’s a battle. It’s an ongoing war against the part of us that still
really likes to sin (the Bible calls this part of us “the flesh”).
The battle can be won but it takes an
ongoing, dogged willingness to say “no” to your sinful self, an acknowledgment
that sin is a choice for Christians and an understanding of what we are
fighting for.
We are fighting for the right to live as
free men and women. We are fighting to live free from enslavement to sinful
habits and the ugly consequences that result from sinful choices.
When we strive daily to live free from sin,
we become what Jesus envisioned for His Church. We become salt and light in a
society that desperately needs a preserving influence. Freedom from life-controlling
sin gives God’s people the spiritual power and authority needed to influence
and inspire positive social change and holy living in others.
Without
freedom from sinful entanglements, we forfeit the right to be taken seriously
when we speak our minds concerning the issues of our day.
As critical as all those things are, the heart
of the battle is bigger and more personal than all of that. We are fighting for
the health of our families and the future of our society. We are fighting to
leave a good and Godly legacy for our children and grandchildren.
It’s worth fighting for.
I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your
precepts~ Psalm 119:45
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