LIBERTY

When you enjoy a Gospel as we do as Christ-followers, there are people who will wander over to one edge and insist that because they’re free in Jesus, they can do whatever they want as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone or violate their own conscience.  They’re free.  Or they say God’s love and mercy will cover whatever they end up doing.

They have a belief that the only things that are right or wrong are things they personally feel to be right or wrong -- emotions rule — what might be wrong for you may not necessarily be wrong for me.

There’s something else I hear frequently and it never fails to rock me.

‘PK, I know I shouldn’t do this; I know it’s against what the Bible says.  But life doesn’t come in a neat package, and I know God has to forgive me if I do it.’

That’s freedom according to them.  But really it’s license.  It’s doing what I want instead of what God wants and pretending God is OK with that.

The opposite view and approach is putting all kinds of extra rules and regulations in play so you won’t drift over into license.  That has a name, too.  It’s called legalism.  And the big problem with legalism is you expect everyone else to follow the boundaries you’ve put in place so that self-bondage isn’t enough - bondage of others is your gig.

We have both license and legalism in the church today - where almost everything goes and where practically nothing goes.  Both are dangerous, deep trenches.  But there is a road that traverses down the center of license and legalism.  It’s called beautiful liberty.

It’s described this way:  ’Do not use your liberty as an occasion for fleshly things, but use your liberty lovingly, to serve one another.’  (Galatians 5:13)

Christ didn’t pay the great price for your freedom so you could use that freedom to do whatever you please.

He didn’t sacrifice Himself on a cross so you could have the luxury of making a long do and don’t list for everyone around you.

Walk down the middle - the lane of liberty.