I used to think about freedom in my typically fleshly self-centered perspective as though the freedom that comes through a forever relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ was solely for me to be blessed. Oh, how wrong I was! God in His tender love and sweet mercy and ever patience has been transforming me over the years and has given me a wonderful new perspective concerning the freedom found through the Lord Jesus Christ!
When we turn from our sins, believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and in His death and resurrection, truly turning our lives over to God and His ways, we are forgiven, given a forever relationship with God, and His Holy Spirit comes to live in us. We are set free from the darkness and bondage of sin, free from the end result of sin which is God’s wrath, death, hell, and the lake of fire in torment forever, free from the horror and devastation of living separated from God on earth and forever, and free in many other ways! But does God set us free just for us to enjoy the blessedness of freedom? By no means!
The Lord’s greatest commands are to love Him with all our hearts and to love each other, and Jesus calls His followers to deny self, take up our crosses, and follow Him. When we deny self, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus and His ways, we are best able to love the Lord and to love one another.
Please note in the two verses that follow how God shows us our freedom is to be used to SERVE GOD and to SERVE OTHERS! In loving the Lord with all our hearts and loving each other, we are to lovingly SERVE GOD AND OTHERS!
“as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.” 1 Peter 2:16 NKJV
“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13 NKJV
Friend, it is an immeasurable blessing, privilege, and joy and is unfathomably rewarding to love and serve the Lord with every ounce of our hearts and to love and serve others in His glorious forever most holy name, AMEN!
“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23 NKJV