You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only don’t let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses but serve each other through love. All the Law has been fulfilled in a single statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour each other, be careful that you don’t get eaten up by each other!
Galatians 5:13-15
I referenced the first 2 verses above in an earlier post. For today’s post, I have included verse 15.
Followers of Jesus in the United States enjoy freedoms as Christians and Americans.
First, it is important to recognize that freedom is not free.
The freedoms that we enjoy as Christians are rooted in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The freedoms that we enjoy as Americans have been established, protected and preserved by men and women who put themselves in harm’s way as we sought independence from Britain all the way through until today.
In the text above, Paul is speaking specifically of our freedoms as Christians. Freedom is not just bestowed upon us, rather we are called to be free. Our call is to use our freedom to serve others. Paul warns us against using our freedom selfishly. He also warns us against turning against one another.
As Christians, I believe this is also how we should approach our freedoms as Americans. Just because we are free to do something doesn’t mean that we should. Let me be clear, I believe we should preserve all of the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. Those very freedoms are what allow us to worship God and practice our faith openly, without fear of persecution or prosecution. Any infringement on freedom can become a slippery slope. Our faith in Christ means that we leverage those freedoms not for our own sake but for the sake of others.
We are free to refrain from disparaging others
We are free to smile
We are free to show compassion
We are free to share our resources with others
We are free to love our neighbors (you may notice that I continue to make this point!)
May we exercise our freedom intentionally, carefully and responsibly.