Freedom For All, Not Free For All
“It’s a free country, I can do what I want.” Growing up, this is the tune my peers were always singing as they acted foolishly, mouthed off to authority figures, or walked in front of moving traffic. I used to roll my eyes in annoyance, because I knew they had no idea what freedom actually means. Thankfully, I had a healthy fear of authority growing up.
Freedom isn’t about putting yourself first and intruding on others. Freedom isn’t just doing and saying whatever you want just because you can, then expecting not to have any negative effects or consequences. If you rob a bank, you are no longer free. If you jump out into traffic and get hit by a car, you’re going to end up bound. If you mouth off to your boss, you’ll probably have a lot more free time, but you won’t have a paycheck with it. Every action has some sort of consequence. Every action has a reaction. Every effect had a cause.
Many Christians are singing the same tune my old peers used to sing. “Christ made me free, so I can do whatever I want and God’s grace will cover me.” I love what my husband said recently during one of his sermons. He said, “There’s freedom in Christ, but it’s not ‘free for all’ in Christ.” Ephesians 2:1 says, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” Living in the “free for all” mentality will only produce death and destruction. If we were to continue in Ephesians 2, we’d see that Christ freed us from living like the world, that He freed us from living only according to the lusts of our flesh, and that He made us free to walk out the good works, the good plan God has for our lives. Look at Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Whom the Son sets free is free indeed, free to live for Him.
Look at John 8:31-32 (AMP), “Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” Notice that this freedom is in direct connection to living in accordance with the Word of God. God isn’t ok with us taking His freedom that He purchased through the blood of His Son and using it as an excuse to do whatever we want in this life. He made us free to follow His plan and His way.
Look at Romans 11:22, “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, IF you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.” GOD HAS HIGH STANDARDS. HE WANTS THE ABSOLUTE BEST FOR US. He cares what we do. He cares what we say. It isn’t just a free life, with no consequences. James 1:22-25, “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” We will walk in his goodness as we walk in His ways.
“Jesus, thank You for the freedom You paid for for my life. I will do my best to follow You. I will do my best to be a doer of Your Word. I thank You for the promises and blessings that come as I abide in You.”
Be Blessed,
Pastor Renee
