Freedom in Christ
Thanks to a study with Rhys N Thomas and his wife Sharon for helping me consider the following things, which I am sure can use refinement, so feel free to chime in.
Christians have a lot of freedom, as we’re given far more principles than we are hard-and-fast rules. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul notes that there are those “who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.” (chapter 2)
In this case, the slavery being mentioned is related to things of Old Covenant law-keeping, and while that’s not a big problem these days, you can still see people preparing to die on esoteric hills such as, “playing a piano makes you Satan’s servant,” or even, “beat boxing is sinful.”
These are often convictions held in good conscience, but they certainly attempt to take away freedom, and while it is important not to offend such a one through spiteful action, it is also important not to yield to law-keeping, if it boils down to that. When Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he implored the readers to walk in a worthy manner of their calling, and then reminded them to be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” He then lists a short number of things to be in agreement on, which are:
- 1.)There is one body
- 2.) and one Spirit,
- 3.) one hope of your calling;
- 4.) one Lord,
- 5.) one faith,
- 6.) one baptism,
- 7.) one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
When we attempt to make up rules where God hasn’t (beat-boxing is the straight path to hell), we often inadvertently trample on things He *has* said, such as keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, which, as seen, is simple and thus should be easily kept.
With love, always.
-Luke
