Freedom

Freedom is free but…

It's been a tough time for Christians in the media lately. This past week we learned that the South Carolina Governor, & active Christian, Mark Sanford share sordid details of his extra-marital affair. Sanford himself revealed how he freely crossed the line & violated his marriage vows. Now he's trying to spiritually justify staying in office.

Then there was Jon & Kate Gosselin, a seemingly devout couple who were sacrificially raising a "large" family on reality TV for all to see their Christian witness. Now, they have decided they are free to divorce.

“Freedom” is a word we use frequently to describe the American experience. As Americans we enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of the press, & freedom of religion. But long before “freedom” became a characteristically American word, it was a thoroughly Christian word. Freedom is a wonderful free gift from God for us sinners who have been saved by grace. How we handle our freedom can be a challenge for us. The way in which we manage our freedom will make a tremendous impact on our character as Christians. And because it’s so critical to our character, here are two safeguards to remember in guarding our freedom:

1. Freedom is free but it: Doesn’t mean a lack of responsibility!

“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers & sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. (Gal. 5:13 NLT)

The enemy knows our weaknesses. He will use those to plot our downfall. The devil will plot ways to steal, kill & destroy us based on our own weaknesses. We all need to take responsibility for our freedoms.

Dr. Dobson once shared a story about an outing with his dad, a wildlife photographer. One early morning they drove deep into some woods until they came to a meadow. In the middle of the meadow was a feeding trough, which they filled with corncobs. Then they hid in the hunter’s shed close by, waited, & sure enough an 8-point buck came walking out to sniff the air.

The buck cautiously stepped into the meadow & made his way carefully over to the trough. He began feeding on the corncobs.

Eventually other deer came & fed as well. In the meantime, armed with a long lens camera, his dad began to photograph these beautiful animals in the early morning light. Dr. Dobson remembers telling his dad how beautiful it was, including the biggest buck I’ve ever seen!

In that moment, his dad taught him a valuable lesson he would never forget: Son, those deer are lucky I’m a photographer & not a hunter. I could be shooting them with a gun & not a camera. Always remember, just because it’s free it doesn’t mean you should take it. The application for us is that it may just be the enemy putting out those corncobs & waiting for us to take what seems to be free. Be careful because freedom doesn’t always mean we should do whatever.

The Bible says that Paul had to deal with problems with the morals of the church at Corinth. Because of the immaturity of the Corinthians had given way to compromising, immorality, & division. They didn’t have the maturity to handle freedom. I wonder could that be true of us, can that be true of you? Do we have the maturity, have we developed the maturity to handle our freedom?

Freedom is a gift but it requires much of us. So how do we handle freedom?

1- We Show Our Respect for God by How We Manage Our Freedom.

“Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers,older women as mothers, & younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.(1 Tm. 5:1-2)

I read about how a father was took his two sons to court. Apparently the parents were fairly affluent & had gone on a two-week trip to Europe. While they were away, their sons collaborated & decided to have a garage sale.

They were selling off everything in their parent’s home including the cars. Then they partied for two weeks using the proceeds of their garage sale. As unbelievable as that sounds, it can happen to Christians.

God trusts us as I trust my own children. When I go to bed at night, I never lock up my wallet or car keys. I trust my children not to steal or take those things & so they sit in the open. God has given us this gift of freedom & trusts us to manage it.

If however, we take advantage of a sister or brother, a mother or a father, it’s like stealing from the heavenly Father.

It is so important for us to be reminded that God loves us so much that He died to give us this gift of freedom. He wants to trust us. Therefore, the way we manage that freedom in relationships, finances, & everything else will reflect our respect for the Father.

2- Husbands: Be a One-Woman Man.

“…Appoint elders in every town as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife….” (Titus 1:5-6) “With eyes full of adultery they never stop sinning….” (2 Pt. 2:14)

That first phrase, “the husband of one wife” means be a husband who is a one-woman man. The second verse, “With eyes full of adultery they never stop sinning,” simply means I’m no longer a one-woman man.

Dori may be my only legally-wedded wife, but I disqualify myself as a one-woman man if my relationship with her isn’t right & my eyes are considering other women.

Freedom is a beautiful gift, but it must be managed well. It tests our maturity & everything about us. Should we have healthy relationships? Absolutely! But men we are to treat women as sisters, “with all purity” as Scripture guides us to do. Husbands, be a one-woman man. Wives, be a one-man woman. Women treat men as brothers. Don’t take advantage of each other.

God gives us freedom as a gift. God trusts us & doesn’t lock up His things at night. The first safeguard to our freedom is to always remember that just because it’s free, it doesn’t mean we can do whatever. And the second major safeguard is this:

2. Freedom is free but: it doesn’t mean it’s cheap!

“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. (1 Pt. 1:18-19; also Phil. 2:6-8)

The freedom that was purchased on the cross bankrupted heaven. God put everything He had on the line for us. God, because of His great love for us, sent Jesus to die for us. Even though the stakes were high, God went all in for us. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

God purchased your freedom from sin. God purchased your freedom by allowing Jesus to die. Jesus paid the highest price anyone can pay. God expects us to manage our freedom in such a way as to bring glory to God.

Just because it’s free, doesn’t mean I don’t have to manage it. Just because it’s free, doesn’t mean it’s cheap. You & I will some day give an account on what we did with that freedom. The Bible says: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered & laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb 4:13)

Sometimes we need help. Sometimes we can’t seem to manage our freedom by ourselves. So ask for help. Get in a Life Transformation Group or find someone to be accountable to. Take the time to develop & grow strong in your relationship with Jesus. This fall we will be having a class on Developing Life Skills that will help grow your Christian character. And then commit to God that from this day forward you will seek to manage the freedom freely given to you.