Freedom and Security

"As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, ⁷ rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."

Colossians 2:6-7

Christians have received Jesus Christ by grace through faith, and thus it is by faith we walk in Him.  Freely have we received, so freely we give and live.  No longer are we governed by the Law of Moses written on tablets of stone but by the righteousness of Christ in faith, love, and obedience to God.  Forgiveness and salvation is a free gift we receive through the Gospel, and having been established in the faith by God we are to abide in Christ.  Paul went on to explain the impact of receiving Christ by faith in verse 10:  "...you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."  The Law is the shadow and the Light of the World Jesus Christ has made it obsolete.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:17, "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."  The liberty believers have through Jesus Christ does not foster lawlessness because the Holy Spirit always leads us to do righteously.  Jesus has freed us from the power and penalty of sin.  He has freed us from the bondage to our flesh, the fear of man, and eternal damnation.  Jesus has also freed us for His good purposes:  to make us fit for the kingdom of God as forgiven, righteous children of God by faith, to serve and praise Him, to boldly enter His throne room of grace to find help in time of need.  For people brought up in religion where their standing with God and the church is based upon their good works or personal sacrifice, the idea of freedom can be disconcerting. It reminded me of the following Garfield comic by Jim Davis:

Our perception of God and how we relate to Him can be a cage which confines us like the animals in the pet shop.  Jesus has come and set us free from bondage to rules and regulations of Law, and we shrink back from the freedom He offers because it is without the structure and security we are accustomed to.  Similar to how the animals preferred security over freedom, we can prefer the security of tradition or even ignorance--feeling like a fish out of water.  Now where the analogy falls woefully short is Garfield is a cat and not able to adequately provide for the needs of animals conditioned to be kept indoors.  Jesus sets us free from the bondage of sin and works-based relationship with God to a life of freedom in His grace and says, "I will never leave or forsake you."  The Law resembled a list a homeowner gives a house-sitter to know what his or her responsibilities are when they are away, but when they return the list is overruled by their guidance in person.

It is true in the excuse of "freedom" people have been given over to excess and even used their freedom to justify what God deems sin.  God's grace is not a cloak for our sin but true freedom is possible because God has made us new creations, born again by grace through faith.  The security in this freedom comes from the presence and promises of Jesus Christ Himself who loves us, gave His life for us, and lives!  We are called to serve one another and for all our actions to be governed by love, for love is the fulfillment of the Law.  Love goes beyond the letter of the Law and sacrifices self for the good of others and the glory of God.  Through Christ we are kept secure in His love, free from sin and free to serve.  Jesus said in John 8:36 that if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.  Galatians 3, Colossians 2, and many other places affirm how Jesus has set us free from the ordinances of Law He nailed to the cross and the establishment of the new Way and covenant by which we relate to God.  It is not a list of rules but a real relationship where God transforms us into who He created us to be.