Christian Liberty
During the past few days, many in this country celebrated Independence Day, a federal holiday set aside to commemorate the signing of one of the country's most significant documents 233 years ago. For Christians, our liberty and independence which comes from God is greater than any man-made holiday and is the great source of excitement as we consider all that our God has done for us.
Paul wrote, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5:1). It's important for us to recognize this great blessing and to appreciate three key things from which we have been freed.
First, Christian liberty enables us to be freed from worry. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks at length about the futility of worry by asking, "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (Matthew 6:27). Our Savior went on to say, "do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things" (Matthew 6:34). While the world might be at a loss for a true cure for worry, we have been freed from such stress and instead are confident in our God.
Paul spoke about the subject of worry in Philippians 4:6 by encouraging us to, "Be anxious for nothing." Instead, the apostle pointed out, we'd do an awful lot of good by praying to God, being thankful for what He has done for us, and remembering that as long as we remain faithful, things work out for His children. Paul wasn't the only apostle to deal with the subject of worry. Simon Peter wrote, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (I Peter 5:6-7). It's always interesting to point out that God doesn't care about some of our worries--He will take care of ALL of them!
Secondly, our Christian liberty allows us to be free from negativity. The world is filled with people who seem to always be negative. Christians, however, can (and should) smile, be positive, and be a breath of fresh air for our friends, neighbors, and coworkers. Jesus recognized that life wouldn't always be easy for His followers and that there would arise occasions wherein we might grow discouraged and negative. Jesus told us that on occasions like these we must always move forward and "shake off the dust from you feet," never losing sight of our goals (Matthew 10:14). Christians can do a lot more good by smiling and being positive rather than being discouraged and negative!
Finally, our Christian liberty frees us from sin. We know that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). The great thing for us as Christians, however, is that God has promised us that He'll always provide us with a way to escape future temptations (I Corinthians 10:13). The apostle Paul knew this quite well and wrote that we have "been set free from sin" (Romans 6:22). Christian liberty is indeed a great thing in that we can have a greater hope than ever before. As we spend this weekend celebrating independence, let us be reminded daily to appreciate our greater spiritual liberty!