| Yesterday Afternoon's Bible Study |
"The first time new teenage drivers are given a set of car keys, they feel like they have been handed the world. They can go where they want, when they want, and do whatever they wish to do--as long as they have permission from their parents.
Although these teens have been given a new kind of freedom, it comes with limitations. If they should misuse their freedom, they can suffer consequences or have their freedom taken away. Why? Because their parents love them and know that they could suffer more painful consequences down the road if they don't learn to operate within the boundaries they have been given.
As followers of Jesus, we have been called unto liberty. God paid the price of our freedom with the life of Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross enabled us to break free from a life of sin. This liberty is given to set us free from the effects of sin in our lives. We can live in that freedom, or we can fool ourselves into believing that our liberty gives us permission to sin." |
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We have been freed from sin, so we can have a relationship with God--not so we can misuse our freedom to keep sinning. Instead, we can live in God's love and goodness so that we can serve others. The depth of our love for God can be seen in how willing we are to meet other people's needs.
Because Christ has set us free, we don't serve each other out of obligation, but as a reflection of the life of service that Jesus lived on Earth. Our life was never meant to be about us and what we want because that isn't the example Jesus set for us. Everything we have been given, including salvation, has been given to us so we can give it away. When God sets us free, we are completely free. Let us choose to remain that way so that we can serve others.
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