Sunday, March 25, 2012

True Freedom (1 Cor. 9:1-2)

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
(1 Corinthians 9:1-2, NASB)

Freedom. It’s a fundamental desire of all humanity. We weren’t created for slavery of any kind. When we feel confined, we strive to shake off whatever binds us.

Yet even if we’re free of any earthly constraints, so many are bound by sin. We are, in fact, slaves of sin. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34, NKJV).

Addictions. Sexual sin. Greed. Anger.

Freedom, true freedom, comes from faith in Christ. Paul wrote to the Roman Christians: “… thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (6:17-18).

When we’re in Christ, we are free from the repercussions of sin. We’re free to live according to God’s will. We’re free to serve our God who loves more than we can truly comprehend.

And we who are in Christ must not continue to live in habitual sin because He saved us from that sin: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

Indeed, our being freed from sin should cause us to joyfully and gratefully serve God and others. “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

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