“Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.” – 1 Peter 2:16
Yesterday, most Americans celebrated freedom and independence, in recognition of the 4th of July. As usual, that celebration included a great deal of fireworks. Sometimes, probably more often than not, these fireworks are illegal. I always find it somewhat ironic that we celebrate our freedom to live our lives by doing something that is against the law. This brings up the question, how should we as Christians live in our freedom? Scripture gives us two great answers to this question.
First and foremost, 1 Peter 2:16 tells us that we should not use our freedom for sinful purposes, but for the service of God. Though we are slaves to no man, we, as Christians, have been bought at the price of Jesus Christ’s blood. Because of this, we should use every moment of our lives serving Him. Slightly different than that, but related to it is Galatians 5:13; “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” Our freedom should never result in selfishness. Instead, the incredible freedom we enjoy in the United States of America and under Christ should be an open invitation for us to passionately serve God and love one another.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the incredible freedom we enjoy. Please give us a passion to use every ounce of that freedom for Your Kingdom.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Shane Cannon <><