Freedom in Christ

Freedom in Christ doesn't mean "free to place our will above His." We are slaves either to the flesh or Him. Yes, in Him, we are free to choose but know this...if we decide to do it our way above His, then we are sinning.

He tells us plainly "if you love me...IF YOU LOVE ME...you'll do all I command." It's troubling that many "new age" believers respond to this passage with "Uh, Jesus, don’t you think that’s a little legalistic? Where’s the grace? This statement seems to be so performance based. It seems to say our love for You is measured by the merit badges of obedience we acquire. Can’t we just move on past this rather “binding” Scripture and develop a narrative style theology that focuses on the freedom of grace? Give me Romans 8; give me Ephesians 2:8.

Now, clearly we can't do it perfectly. We will mess up, daily usually, but when we KNOW to do good and don't, please don't think that freedom in Christ is a ticket to put our will above His. Because in James 4:10, He tells us what "our will over His" is. "To him, that knows to do good and doesn't, to him it is sin."

We can't get bound up, fearful or legalistic because then there would be no joy (freedom) in Christ. However, the Hebrew writer clearly states in 10:26 "If we DELIBERATELY keep on sinning (ignoring HIS commands) after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but the terrifying expectation of judgment."

Satan has deceived many Christians into thinking we aren't responsible for following Gods will to the best of our ability.

The Hebrew writer also tells us what we are doing when we do not make ourselves slaves to His will. WE ARE STOMPING ON THE CROSS and INSULTING it when we misuse His grace (freedom)

"How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" Hebrews 10:29 He also says of this grotesque deed, "Vengence is MINE, I WILL repay." God, the FATHER, doesn't take lightly the misuse of HIS SON'S sacrifice. These verses are addressed to Christians NOT the world. Take heed.

YES, YES, YES, a resounding YES, there is grace when we fail. That means no guilt in life; brush yourself off and keep on, keeping on. BUT...do not think yourself FREE to pull out your black sharpie, cross out His commands and He'll be fine with that. Know this; Jesus only has to say it ONE time in all of the scripture for it to be relevant to our lives today. Neither our acceptance, approval or obedience is needed by the ALMIGHTY God to command it of us.

Paul tells us we are no longer bound to the law. People need to get an understanding of that scripture. IN CHRIST our sinful nature dies, so keeping His commandment (in theory) shouldn't be something we "have" to do. It should just come naturally. However, when it doesn't, we have the WONDERFUL opportunity to recognize what "within us" is STILL slave to the flesh...surrender and let God transform us.

I, like David, LOVE His law, I delight in it. That doesn't mean I CAN keep it; I ALWAYS fall short, and I certainly have done my share of disobeying it. But may I never again be guilty of dismissing it because it gets in the way of what "I" want, then fool myself into believing that it's freedom in Christ.

Freedom in Christ is being free from guilt when we fail, NOT freedom to misuse His grace and insult the Cross.