Freedom

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
Romans 6:22

Today is a good day to awaken and give thanks for freedom. First, I give thanks for freedom from sin that Jesus has provided. If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36). Also, I give thanks for the freedom we enjoy in America. My appreciation for freedom is coupled with a deep awareness of the responsibility of living a “free” life. I enjoy the benefits of freedom because many have paid and are paying a significant price. So, today is a day to be grateful and it is a day to consider my responsibility. In Romans 6:22, the apostle Paul reminds me that the benefits of freedom touch my everyday life and stretch into eternity. Among those benefits, I must not forget about “holiness”. Holiness is the fruit of freedom. Paul provides a framework for life. He says I am free from sin and free to live a life that is pure. In Christ, I am no longer a slave to sin. Consequently, my relationships with others are transformed from selfishness to service. Any form of freedom that celebrates an individual expression apart from the God’s plan for our relationship with Him and others is diminished. To be sure, 21st century freedom in America has taken on an individualistic flavor. The result can be devastating if we fail to discern how easily our pursuit of individual desires can turn into unbridled selfishness. The relationship between selfishness and arrogance is well documented. D. A. Carson has identified the “worst form of the perennial human sin”. He calls it “the arrogance that wants to be God”. Ultimately, I must never forget that freedom is a gift from God.