What is our freedom in Christ for?
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
1 peter 2:16
Last week we looked at what Christ has set us free from.
We saw that Christ has set us free from sin, the law, and death. We are now free to become slaves to righteousness. We are free to serve God and free to come under grace.
In today’s post, we are looking at what that freedom is for
But what does our freedom in Christ entail?
Our freedom is not a license to live in sin.
We are not free to do whatever we want. We have been set free so we can now serve God unhindered.
According to peter, it is possible to use our freedom as a cover-up for evil.
How is this possible?
Paul addresses this with the Corinthian church.
“I have the right to do anything, “you say- but not everything is beneficial. “ I have the right to do anything”- but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12
The Corinthians had entered into freedom in Christ but they began using their freedom to sin. They were falling into sexual immorality in the name of freedom. They were using their freedom in God to conceal sin.
Paul doesn’t disagree that indeed there is liberty in God. But he says not everything is beneficial and this puts a limit on our freedom. If something is no longer constructive then we cannot use our freedom to justify it.
Another thing is even though we now have the freedom to do just about anything. We have to make sure that we aren’t becoming enslaved to stuff. Immorality wasn’t freedom. It was the enemy’s yoke to return them to the bondage of sin but they couldn’t see that.
This doesn’t just apply to sexual immorality. It applies to everything in life. In Christ, we have the freedom to enjoy life. However, we have to make sure that even the things we do for enjoyment are constructive and beneficial to our spiritual life.
We also have to be careful because sometimes, harmless things can become a doorway for the enemy to master us.
We are free to wear whatever we want, eat whatever we want, go wherever we want. We are no longer bound to sin. But our freedom begins to have a limit when something is no longer beneficial for us or for our Christian walk.
Our freedom ends where we begin to become enslaved again to the very things Christ died to set us free from.
Our freedom is for serving others.
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13
We can use our freedom to indulge our flesh but that’s not what it is for. We are free to serve others in love.
All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things build people up.1 Corinthians 10:23
Again, Paul is tackling the problem of misuse of freedom in the Corinth church. This time, they were participating in pagan feasts believing they were free to do so because those idols weren’t gods anyway. They were partly right but they had missed the point. Other believers were stumbling in their walk because of this. It wasn’t building their spiritual life but tripping them.
Paul says we are free to do whatever we want but there is a problem when our freedom becomes a stumbling block to others. Our freedom should be used to build up others not put a stumbling block in their way.
We are free to do anything we want. We are free to dress however we want, eat whatever we want, and go wherever we want. But we have to remember that we aren’t just living for ourselves we are called to edify others. So if you wearing something is a stumbling block to other people then you don’t have to wear it. If you going some places could hinder someone in their walk in Christ then your freedom is no longer edifying.
Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. vs 24
We become truly free when we care about serving others than we care about serving ourselves.
The amplified version says… but through love serve and seek the best for one another. Galatians 5: 13b
We have to be careful that what we are doing in the name of freedom doesn’t stumble or mislead others into error.
Be careful, however, that your freedom doesn’t become a stumbling block to the weak 1 Corinthians 8: 9
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free but let us use that freedom to the glory and honor of God and for the benefit of others in love.
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