CHRISTIAN AND FREEDOM – “THE WAY FORWARD – FOUR L’s”

Today’s devotion is based on comments on the series “Christian and Freedom…” by a dear brother in Christ, Pastor Suresh Manohar. Praise God for such brothers.

Freedom that a Christian enjoys has come to us because of a huge price paid by the LORD Jesus. The liberty that we possess, is not doing whatever one pleases, with no boundaries whatsoever. Such a freedom and liberty are far from the truth.

The freedom that we have, as the disciples of the LORD, has intentional boundaries set into it. They are for our good, and are to safeguard us, and our liberty, so that, we can enjoy our freedom and the liberty, properly and purposefully, to the full. 

The LIBERTY we possess in Christ, compels us to demonstrate our LOYALTY to the LORD, in our thoughts, words and deeds. We are expected to be LOYAL to the LORD – “61 Let your heart therefore be loyal to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.” – 1 Kings 8:61

If we are not careful with our LIBERTY, and are not LOYAL to the LORD, then we surely will slip into LEGALISM as seen among the Galatian Christians – “16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” – Galatians 2:16

The other danger that lurks closely, if we are not careful with our LIBERTY is, our LICENTIOUSNESS, as found among the Corinthian Christians – “​1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife!” – 1 Corinthians 5:1

Therefore, after we receive our LIBERTY from the LORD, we ought to be LOYAL to the LORD, without slipping into the LEGALISM of the Galatian Churches, nor living a LICENTIOUS LIFE as found in the Corinthian Church. Even so, the LORD help us.