The Freedom that Freedom Brings

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Galatians 5:13 (ESV)

Fireworks illuminate the sky while red, white, and blue fly high across today’s celebration of freedom. But where does it really come from?

Is freedom afforded by our nation’s founders or by our Heavenly Father?

Galatians 5:13 explains the powerful truth about freedom--its origin and its purpose. Freedom is a calling given by God. Freedom is not just a right, it is not just a privilege, it is a calling. And throughout Scripture, God does the calling. Every person has been given, by the Creator, a divine calling to freedom. Before freedom is a privilege that the government gives, it is a right and responsibility that God gives.

Paul goes on to explain that we are not to abuse our freedom by indulging ourselves, we are to instead serve one another in love. Freedom is to be governed by love. If freedom is divorced from love, we prioritize what we want over what someone else needs. It is not a license to do what we want to do, it is liberty to do what we ought to do.

True freedom is also guided by the Spirit. The freedom that freedom brings makes you so free that you will give up what you are entitled to because it may be spiritually detrimental to someone else. This allows you to love your enemies, take the high road, and forgive when it hurts.

The greatest example of the freedom that freedom brings is not a national document, but the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus exercised His freedom in self-giving love.

So let’s use our freedom—given by God, governed by love, and guided by the Spirit—to let freedom ring with the freedom that freedom brings.

Prayer: Father, today we remember the gift of freedom across our land. Thank You for the opportunity to live in this country. We ask for Your blessing of wisdom and mercy upon the leadership, decisions, and future of our nation. We pray for every person to experience the freedom only You can give. Guide us by Your Holy Spirit, that we would use our freedom to serve others in love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.