Dependence and Freedom
“Live as free persons, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God.” (I Peter 2:25) (RSV)
As our family watched the fireworks impressively flaring over the St. John’s river in downtown Jacksonville, Florida this 4th of July, I couldn’t help thinking of the mystery of being dependent upon God and yet being set free by God (Christ). Both dependency and freedom are data points of the Christian faith. We must avoid pitfalls on either side.
We can slip into the trap of being impressed with our own intelligence and skills, or possibly, the luck of circumstances, and become more and more reliant upon ourselves for happiness and fulfillment. We can just as easily take the irresponsible attitude of “whatever will be, will be”…“I’ll just exist and God will take care of everything without my doing a thing.”
God has demonstrated throughout history, and still demonstrates, His sovereignty as Lord and Master of the universe. At the same time, He chose to become man in Christ, who in turn passed on His mission through The Church (the Body of Christ in the world). Thus, through the prophets of old, through Christ, and through the Church…God shows His desire to work through people rather than solo. For those who accept Him into their lives, He set us free. He sets us free from ourselves and sin. He sets us free for a purpose: to relate to Him and allow Him to express His Will through us. When we start thinking it all depends on us, we miss the power and mystery of God’s activity in our life. When we take the laissez-faire approach that we have no responsibility to do anything, we also miss the power and mystery of God’s activity in our life. It’s a key reality of the Christian faith: accepting our freedom and dependence.
Blessings Always in All Ways,
Steve
<><
As our family watched the fireworks impressively flaring over the St. John’s river in downtown Jacksonville, Florida this 4th of July, I couldn’t help thinking of the mystery of being dependent upon God and yet being set free by God (Christ). Both dependency and freedom are data points of the Christian faith. We must avoid pitfalls on either side.
We can slip into the trap of being impressed with our own intelligence and skills, or possibly, the luck of circumstances, and become more and more reliant upon ourselves for happiness and fulfillment. We can just as easily take the irresponsible attitude of “whatever will be, will be”…“I’ll just exist and God will take care of everything without my doing a thing.”
God has demonstrated throughout history, and still demonstrates, His sovereignty as Lord and Master of the universe. At the same time, He chose to become man in Christ, who in turn passed on His mission through The Church (the Body of Christ in the world). Thus, through the prophets of old, through Christ, and through the Church…God shows His desire to work through people rather than solo. For those who accept Him into their lives, He set us free. He sets us free from ourselves and sin. He sets us free for a purpose: to relate to Him and allow Him to express His Will through us. When we start thinking it all depends on us, we miss the power and mystery of God’s activity in our life. When we take the laissez-faire approach that we have no responsibility to do anything, we also miss the power and mystery of God’s activity in our life. It’s a key reality of the Christian faith: accepting our freedom and dependence.
Blessings Always in All Ways,
Steve
<><
posted by BreadBakers at 12:12 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home