8/7/2019 MMW Living in Liberty

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Living in Liberty

One old song goes For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He isable, to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. It is astatement that affirms the trustworthiness of Jesus.

Liberty is that freedom from restraint which enables us to choose what we will; it isdifferent to license which is the freedom to do anything at all. Paul of Tarsus madethis distinction im Romans 6:15-18, it went like this

So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we

want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind?

Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-

called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last

free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives

you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master,

one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom! Romans 6:15 -18

Liberty is not the right to do anything at all; rather it is the ability to choose what is

best for us and others. In the old Testament there is a system of voluntary slaverywhere through financial distress a person would be pledged to another to satisfy adebt. The slave was to work for his master for a period of six years but in theseventh year was to be emancipated. If however the slave decided to, he couldvoluntarily attach themself to the master again.

This is the picture that Paul was using. Jesus set us free by His submission to deathand His Father, and we should choose to live for Jesus because it is for our benefitto live the life He offers. He tells the Church of Galatia the reason we should makethis choice is that God has called us to it and then shows what liberty should looklike.

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use

this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather,use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything

we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love

yourself. That's an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch outin no

time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be

then? Galatians 5:13-15 (The Message)

Jesus our Master took the journey to the cross for two reaso ns. He knew that it wasnecessary to fulfil all righteousness, and that hard as it was, it was Fathers will forHis life. He demonstrated what the God life was during the ministry years. He thenshowed us what submission to God meant by going to the cross: a particularly nastyway to die.

We also are called to live for others , not just our loved ones but the foreigners andstrangers in our midst as well. We are to stand with the oppressed and those whoare unable to stand for themselves. We are to l ove the unloving and unlovable. Thisis a big job however Jesus has paid the price and is with us enabling us to live up tothe God life.

Finally Peter wrote in first Peter a model for living as a Jesus follower look it up andapply this verse to your life. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover -up for evil; live as Gods slaves. 1 Peter 2:16 (New International Version, 2010)