Freedom

Romney C. Rogers, Managing Partner, Rogers, Morris & Ziegler LLP

Les‘s article on freedom  in last month’s Good News made me start thinking about the importance of understanding what it means to be free in Christ. I know Les was making the point that freedom in Christ is not a license to do anything we want, and because of current noise from the world we live in, I think it is even more important that Christians be able to explain to those around them how our world view is at times directly opposite from those in our work place, neighbors, friends and even family members. So I thought I would start with the world’s definition of freedom to see if I could point out the contrast it makes from a Christian world view and give further consideration to what our Christian mind set should be.

 

Dictionary definition

Webster’s Dictionary definition of freedom is “the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.”

We know that that power unbridled can lead to chaos, or in other words, everyone doing  their own thing without any real understanding of how or what they are doing or saying might impact them or others. As believers in the God of the Bible, we are to turn to the good book for direction on how we should live.

 

A biblical perspective

Galatians 5:13 says, “For you were called to be free brothers and sisters, only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.“

So a practical translation of this verse leads you to the obvious conclusion that one definition of what it means to be  free in Christ is being free from the guilt of sin and our sin nature, and that we can achieve that freedom by following  God‘s law as given to us throughout Scripture.

Leviticus 18:5 says, “Keep my statutes and ordinances, a person will live if he does them.

This means to me that a Christian’s definition of freedom should not be a license to do anything we want, when we want to do it, but a directive to go through life free of the guilt of sin and with a calling to serve one another.

The next time you hear the word freedom think about how Christ set you free from sin and in turn how we can share that message of freedom with others. Since this message is so radically different from all the noise we hear from the world around us, I believe we need to work that much harder to share it with others.

November is the month of Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for as believers. We should all take this time of the holiday season to share our story of freedom in Christ to all those around us.

Because of our gratitude for that saving grace, we need to love one another as Christ first loved us.

By doing that, I am quite sure we can experience true  freedom in Christ.

 

Romney Rogers is managing partner at Rogers, Morris & Ziegler LLP and former Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner.

 

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