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Thursday, July 31, 2008

FREEDOM!

FREEDOM! Many see Christian freedom as freedom from sin, death, law, and the need to earn God’s favor by works. However, Christian freedom is not just freedom “from” it is much more it is freedom “for”, freedom for doing what’s right.

When we were still caught in sin, we weren’t able to please God, no matter how hard we tried. But now, in Christ, we are free to do what God desires, even what His law requires.

Yet, we don’t do this to earn God’s favor, rather in an attitude we respond this way for the favor already given in Christ.

Here’s the good news of your freedom in a nutshell: You are now free to do the right thing.

You are free to live your life for God.
You are now free to live the best possible life there is.

In Christ you have freedom from and freedom for.

Paul is quite specific in Galatians about what our Christian freedom is for. Galatians 5:13-14 For you’ve been called to live in freedom—not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one law: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Did you catch that? Don’t use your freedom for your sinful nature (“the flesh” in Greek). Rather use it “to serve one another in love.”

The English misses the shocking irony of the Greek, which literally reads, “You were called to freedom , so use your freedom by becoming slaves to each other in love.”

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