“For freedom Christ has set us free.” Gal. 5:1
Does “freedom” mean we can do anything we want, any time we want, to any extent we want, with whomever or whatever we want, for as long as we want, and suffer no consequences with any of it at any level?
In today’s world, does freedom mean abolishing common decency?
We have 2 kids currently in college and in most US colleges today, new students are encouraged by staff and peers to experience “freedoms” they may have never had the opportunity to try until now. In the sex arena, kids are told to “fly, be free” and many do just this…only to discover latent consequences one never considered as an 18-21 year old. ~~Like being a happily married 32 yr. old, but unable to conceive because of a silent STD … Or being ‘not so happily married’ because one’s been with so many partners that being united with ‘just one for life’ is too confining. … Or dealing with post abortion remorse and shame one never fathomed one would feel ‘back in the day’…
Can we truly be free when we are slaves to our own passions and desires?
“Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, ‘You are truly My disciples if you remain faithful to My teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. … Everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.’” Jn. 8:31-36
Freedom in these verses mean ceasing to be a slave, to be set at liberty. ~~Liberty to live as free men, as servants of God, without using freedom as a pretext for evil. 1 Pet. 2:16
Satan dared Eve and succeeded. She believed she was gaining something but was actually losing it all. And his dares haven’t changed; at the root, they’re designed to appeal to our pride, our insecurity and our wanting to prove or validate ourselves. Tragically, in a moment of weakness, Adam and Eve lost their freedom, and entered into a lifelong self-induced prison with consequences rippling to us 1000’s of years later.
Question: What in our life this week is enticing us away from true freedom? ~~Like the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, it is not too late to reverse direction.
May God bless us,
Shaun and Betsy
