Much talk of liberty in the land. And in the church. Americans have always loved this topic, and rightly so. From the beginning we had to be free! Free to worship, free to believe, free to make it without government influence.
But for many among us, that freedom turned into freedom to be greedy, freedom to cheat our fellow human-beings, freedom to destroy our bodies and bring a lot of others along to destruction with us. America is not what was envisioned.
So it is among us who in our Western way desire freedom in the Lord.
“Stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free!”
“Brothers, you have been called to liberty!”
“However…” Oops, how did that word get in this article? What’s a “however” doing in a piece about unbridled liberty? Ah, but the “unbridled” part is where we must part company with many of today’s teachers. Our liberty is real and powerful, but it is not unlimited.
Paul, in the Galatians 5 texts quoted above says that our liberty is not a fleshly thing, not a license to do as we please.
So there is great liberty, but also great restriction, for the people of God. Here is my personal list of freedoms and restrictions I see in the Word. Maybe you can find others?
I am free not to sin. Free from sin’s bondage. Free, if I so choose, from succumbing to temptation. Of all the liberties we enjoy, this must be the best. Sin had me enslaved. What it said to do I had to do. The world was flowing a certain way for me. I was trying to flow with it. I would have eventually washed over the cliff into the destruction waiting below. But now I am free.
However, that freedom implies that I can stop listening to Him at times, and go my own way. My freedom not to sin can be turned into the so-called freedom to sin. But why would I do that? Liberty should be used only in the Spirit, not in the flesh.
I am free to worship in any way I see fit. “Michal” is watching at the window, to rebuke and correct if I get too out of hand, but I am free from her also. Her pride is her pride. I am free from it. I am free to dance, shout, sing loud, jump.
However, I am not free to steal the show from Jesus in church. I am not free to become the center of attention and be offensive to my brothers who do not understand. I am not free to wrest the service from the pastor who leads. My love must conquer my liberty here.
I am free to exercise gifts of the Spirit. Since there is no Biblical mandate (no, not even I Corinthians 13) for the cessation of gifts, I must search diligently for the best ones and let them flow.
However, I am not free to do anything in a meeting that would keep the body of Christ from being edified. Nor am I free to oppose the leader of a meeting and demand my own way. Some gifts will have to be taken home or elsewhere. Love demands what liberty cannot.
I am free to love the Lord with all my soul, might, money, time. The term “fanatic” or “strange” shall not stop me.
However I am not free to take from others who depend on me, to serve God. My family cannot be in pain because of my desire to serve the Lord. Love vs liberty again.
I am free to be a holy person, separate from the world. I do not have to follow fashions of my culture. I do not have to yield to music that does not please me, that in fact makes me ill. I do not have to eat foods that kill. I can spend as long as I want in prayer, fasting, and the Word.
10. However, I am not free to hide from the world’s needs in the name of holiness. Therefore I must enact yet another freedom: I am free to go into bars and brothels and ‘hoods of every description to bring people to Christ. My entrance there will be only a visit, but I shall not fear Satan’s kingdom. I am free.
11. I am free from fear. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. No one can harm me as my hand is in the hand of God Almighty. I am free even to die in peace.
12. However I am not free to be reckless and foolish. I am not free to stop abiding in the vine and seek some other cover.
13. I am free to believe all things that God has said. No one shall put me in a box. No denomination is big enough to describe that which is mine, the things God has for me, the principles that define my faith. No man shall teach me.
14. However I am not free to be proud and disconnected from the fellowship of believers, even when I do not agree with the place they have reached at present. I shall humbly listen to men, for through men the Spirit of God speaks.
You see how liberty works? No liberty is a true one that is not governed by the love of God. A truly free person is able freely to accept restriction. So it’s not, “I am free to do as I want.” The simple correction to that affirmation is: “I am free to do whatever HE wants.”
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