Tuesday, August 18, 2015

In our last visit I shared with you my life’s verse, 1 Corinthians 9:19, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” I pointed out that the verse breaks down easily into 3 points. The first point is to declare the truth that he is free from all men. All of us are free from all men. No one can make you do anything. You might face dire consequences if you don’t submit to another’s authority, but you are free to choose whether you will submit or not, that is, if you are willing to face the consequences. Parents can’t make you obey. Governments can’t make you obey. You are free. Many people don’t believe that they are free and so they do what is expected of them even if they disagree with what they are doing. Many others believe they are free but don’t have the courage to act on their freedom. You are free to do that, but you are also free to be who you believe you are. Yes, even Christians often don’t realize they are free. You don’t have to go to church. You don’t have to read the Bible or pray. You don’t have to live according to the dictates or counsel of the leaders of your church. You are free to do whatever you want, even as a Christian. Yes, and you are free to thumb your nose at God and go your own way rather than submit to Him and obey Him. There are consequences if you choose to be free from everyone, including God. But you can make that choice. Paul doesn’t encourage you to live that way but he does make that point clearly. Read it over again and tune in for our next visit.