Let’s take a trip down memory lane today. Do you remember one of the main reasons why you were eager to leave your parent’s house? I do! For many of us, it was a matter of being able to establish and enjoy our freedom. We yearned for the freedom of our will but soon realized that our said freedom wasn’t free.
This life lesson is often brutal because when you’re young you are often ignorant of your own naivety. Nonetheless, we have all learned that with freedom comes great responsibility. We cannot assume that because we are free to say and do as we please, we do not have a responsibility to God and to others.
Our freedom has limitations whether we would like to admit it or not. Firstly, we have the laws that govern our societies to ensure that there is order. Whether you are a Christian or not, you are obliged to follow the laws of your land for this reason. Secondly, there is the Word of God, our life map, which guides and shows us who we are and how we should speak, think and act if we are to embody Christ.
Some persons believe that they are a law unto themselves where they do not have to comply with the restrictions imposed by either the law of the land or God. To those persons we wish them God’s grace however, the Body of Christ, must be made up of persons who are not obsessed with the overriding self-interest of their own free will.
Our lives are not our own because we belong to the Most High God and as such, we must be willing to lay down anything that does not bring glory to Him. I understand that we are free to dress, speak, act and be whoever we’d like but we should always be cautious that if we are carrying the mantle of Christ’s light, His light must be seen.
There are many things that are up for debate in religious circles ranging from what we can eat to what we can wear. Sometimes, there are no clear-cut answers as the Bible can only be understood based on one’s interpretation of context and maturity in Christ. There is, however, a litmus test that can be applied by any believer who may be double-minded about God’s position on the extent of their freedom. The phrase “litmus test” means an effective and definite way of proving or measuring something. For the purposes of this
blog, we will measure the extent of our freedom against the following two scriptures:
1 Corinthians 10: 23-24
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.
1 Corinthians 10: 31-33
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks, or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.”
There’s a reason why God has demanded that his people avoid foolish controversies and arguments about His law. Sometimes, it is not a question of us deciphering what is right and wrong from our limited capacity. God will often call us to an individual place with Him to ascertain whether our words, thoughts, motives, and deeds are profitable or beneficial to His glory. That is ultimately the litmus test for our freedom.
We must know and understand who God is in order to know what brings glory to Him. This can only be understood if we are in a relationship with Him. When we are in a relationship with Him, He will guide us on how we are to be in a relationship with others. We can never truly be free without Christ because without Christ we are enslaved to sin. With Christ, our freedom has everything to do with how well we can illuminate Him.
QUOTE – Christian liberty is freedom from sin, not freedom to sin – A.W. Tozer
