Freedom in Christ. What a nice concept. Sadly, most Christians are frightened of freedom. Ever since Jesus announced, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free," many in the church have tried to explain away his remark: "What Jesus meant is that we are free not to sin." Which is true. We are free not to sin. And we are free also to sin.
The radical truth of freedom in Christ is that I am free to choose good or bad, right or wrong, this way or that way. I can choose to run to Christ or run away from Christ. Freedom in Christ means I am free from everyone else's definition of freedom for me. Because I am free in Christ, when it comes to my relationship with him, he is the only one I answer to. Because I am free in Christ, I am free from other people's concern that I might not sue my freedom well. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:17, "And where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
The psalmist said, "I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts." Freedom clearly is connected to seeking out God's precepts, which means those who seek to follow God's commands are set free to roam in the wide open spaces of his love.
God's Word makes it clear he trusts us with freedom, even though it can be misused, even though he knows we might not be able to handle it. All he can do is leave us with his words, his precepts, and then let us figure out how a spiritual person would act in the context of our lives. (pages 118-119)
Thank you Michael Yaconelli for your strength in articulation.
Moral of the Story: I am free.
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