Rushing down the sidewalk after a few too many hours on road with stops, I couldn’t wait to reach the bathroom. Slamming the stall door shut, I suddenly found myself distracted.
The rest stop caretakers had posted the most specific sign I’d seen in a loo.
What’s happening that you need to flush your undergarments?!
Maybe it was all the time in the car, but the sign had me laughing hard.
Sometimes it’s better to say what you can do instead of what you can’t do.
(In the case of toileting, that’s up for debate…but still…)
I find faith in Christ is often seen more as a list of what not to do than what to do. Among unbelievers, this is evident in the common perception of Christians as “judgy,” “kill-joys,” “strict,” “condemning,” etc.
But as believers, we sometimes approach God’s Word like a long list of “don’ts” too.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” –Galatians 5:1
Our relationship with God has us living two realities which, to our limited selves, seem paradoxical.
- We are free in Christ
- We are slaves to Christ
Both are true.
Christ freed us from sin into the opportunity to obey Him.
Abiding in Christ isn’t something we can do while enslaved to sin. Glorifying God isn’t an option when we follow the ruler of the world, Satan. Abiding in and glorifying the Only One worthy is a privilege. It’s ours for the choosing when we receive salvation from Jesus.
This is pictured in Scripture as bondservice.
A bond servant was a slave who, given freedom, chose to serve his master. He was free. And He chose to be a slave.
Because our True Master is so loving, kind, and perfect, it’s no wonder that we would choose to use our freedom to serve Him too!
Here’s what this opportunity looks like:
| The Biblical “Don’t”… | Frees Us From… | So We are Free To… |
| Don’t lie | Entrapment in deception | Trust God with the truth |
| Don’t gossip | Crafting perceptions, not relationships | Love others sincerely |
| Don’t be greedy | Consumption with corruptible things | Enjoy God’s good gifts |
| Don’t judge | Idolizing roles, rules, ourselves, etc. | Connect humbly and genuinely |
| Don’t worry | Losing sleep; self-dependence | Rejoice in God’s provision |
It is for freedom Christ has set us free. Let’s not use our freedom to stay enslaved to sin and it’s consequences!
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