There is, however, another di mension of our freedom that is often overlooked. We are free from the burden of proving we are somebody to other people. It would be humorous if it were not so tragic the way the Pharisees at tempted to prove to the people of their day that they were just a little bit better. Remember in Luke, Chapter 8, the Pharisee prays and tells Cod how he is so much bet ter than other people. Many of us are just that way. Whether rebel or part of the so-called establishment, we work hard to prove that we are just a little better than other peo ple. We dress up or down, depend ing on the game we are playing. We constantly vie for the best po sition in any discussion. The trag edy is that many Christians are still slaves to this game. In Christ, we do not have to prove we are some body: Christ has made us some body. We are sons of God, we are new creatures, we are joint-heirs with Christ, all of the provisions of heaven are ours. We have the priv ilege of walking in fellowship with the Lord. Our efforts are totally insignificant when compared to the work that Christ has done for us. Finally, I am free to think posi tively — to think what I want to think with the new mind I have through Christ (II Timothy 1:7). If we are bound to Satan, we will think as he would have us. If some body gossips about us, we try to get even. Our minds will examine all the possibilities of striking back. That is predictable behavior: we are slaves to our human or sinful nature. Have you ever been trapped in congested traffic when you were in a hurry. It is natural to "honk your horn and blow your stack."
But when we are truly new men and women in Christ, we are free to respond in new ways. We have the ability (if we will use it) to exercise patience, to use the time to think constructively. In Christ, I am no longer a ser vant of Satan and a slave to cir cumstances. I am potentially free from the anger, hate, envy, and fear that eats the heart out of life. Indeed, if the Son shall make you free, you will finally be free! These aspects of freedom are tremendous. I no longer have the heavy burden of fighting for my place before God or men. Christ has made me acceptable and I am free. But, there is another side to this coin and lest we distort the mes sage, it must be considered. I am not free to be oblivious to my fel low men or disrespectful to my Lord — that is unless I want to forgo a significant measure of fellowship. In I Corinthians 6:12 and 10:24, Paul states that all things are pos sible or lawful for him but that not all things are expedient, or mix well with living for Christ. In 6:9- 20, Paul expects the Corinthians to live differently — not to earn their salvation or make points with God. Rather, he desires that they show they were new creatures in Christ and not interested in continuing as slaves to sin. Later in I Corinthians 8-10, Paul reveals the obligation we have to use our freedom wisely before oth ers. In these chapters he seems to present three groups of people that have to be reckoned with. Two of these groups are Christian, the last is the unsaved. First, there are weak Christians who know little of their freedom Page 7
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