The Perfect Premise of Freedom
It's Temporary
“You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness…” Romans 6:18.
Freedom is an ideal we certainly cherish, celebrate, and even sometimes idolize in this country. “It’s a free country,” we hear, “I can do what I want.” We enjoy freedoms in this country that so many people around the world can only dream about. We have no king, we aren’t forced to have a particular job, marry a certain person, or have a specific number of children. We get angry when someone threatens one of our many freedoms. In fact, we see resentment and even widespread protests whenever one of our precious freedoms is threatened or taken away.
But if we really examine our lives, we’ll see who our masters are. Maybe you’ve made your job your master. Maybe you lay awake at night worrying about your portfolio, or your kids’ schedules, or maybe you constantly have to cultivate your social media, or a sick or elderly relative demands so much of your time that you just can’t see the benefit of having yet another master. “I need more freedom!” you might tell yourself as you dream about a vacation or after you finally get your kids to bed. But the perfect premise of the freedom God offers is that we have the option of choosing to serve Him every day. God doesn’t need a time slot, or religious rituals, or a certain amount of money. No, He wants your heart: a living, breathing, and active faith.
God freed us from the worst ruler of all – sin. But in order to be free, we have to submit to Him. So often I’ve read this and seen it as an exchange. I think, “well I can be free from sin, but that means I have to give up my way of life. Maybe I have to give up something that I really want to hold onto if I want to be a “good” Christian.” But God shows us time and again throughout the Bible the amazing things He can do with our lives if we just submit to Him. He’s not asking us to make our lives worse; He’s creating in us a desire to be more like Him and enjoy a way of life that is infinitely better than what we can produce for ourselves.
Do you see spending time with God as just another chore; just another item to check off the list, or do you see serving God and spending time in prayer or acts of service as the restoration you truly need? His desires for our lives should fill us with a passion to strive for righteousness and to live life with Him. Jesus as our master is actively praying for us, actively intervening in our lives, and passionately and profoundly leading us to the Promised Land. So take advantage of the freedom Jesus provides! The beauty of making Him your master is that your service and your faith journey is unique to you. We are not bound by sacraments, ceremonies, or rituals – we are free to pursue God as the Holy Spirit leads us. So, take some time this week to take stock of your life in Christ. Be intentional about spending time in prayer, and seek God’s purpose for tomorrow. Choose to accept Christ into your heart on a daily basis, and He will free you from the doubt, the worry, the fear, and the sin the world so actively seeks to enslave us with.