“FREEEEEEDOM…!” shouts Mel Gibson, portraying William Wallace in the movie, Braveheart. Wallace’s undaunted fervor to free Scotland reaches its final climax as he breathes his last. In what is arguably one of the most powerful scenes in film history, it stands as a testimony to man’s longing for freedom.
As Christians, we enter into a freedom that surpasses all other forms, but we are in danger of losing it. If the Church hopes to retain the liberty for which Christ died, it must guard against the freedom-threatening forces of license on one side and legalism on the other.
The license side sees freedom as a pass to engage in whatever someone feels is OK. “I’ll take one serving of Christ with forgiveness; hold the moral absolutes please.” Feelings, sans Biblical standards, become the arbiter of right and wrong. However, without boundaries there can be no freedom.
On the other end live the legalists. Although they may appear righteous, they use the word of God as a cudgel against those who differ. Colossians 2:23 describes them well. “Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom… but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” They smother freedom.
If we hope to fight both license and legalism we must walk in the kind of freedom Christ died for: freedom infused with holiness. This freedom looks different from any other kind known to man. God paid an extremely high price to make His people both holy and free, so let’s not blow it. Let’s show it! Let’s shout it from the rooftop….FREEEEEDOM!
Father, please help us not fall into either the license or legalistic camp. Let us show the world what true freedom looks like. Thank you for this amazing gift. Amen.
Go Deeper — Read Chapter 5 of Galatians and make sure you are living free.
Photo Credit: Vladimir Vujeva