Live and Love Free

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

God wants you to live as free as you are. When Jesus died for you, He freed you from the heavy burden of religion. In Him, you can live in ways that honor Him and give you peace of mind.

That doesn’t mean we live however we choose. No—God’s Word tells us some behavior isn’t appropriate for anyone who knows Jesus as Savior. God doesn’t want you to be confused or frustrated about how to live. He really wants you to feel free … because you are free.

Here are some things to avoid: First, a prideful attitude that makes you look like you know more than others do. God always rejects pride. You live free when you relate to each other with genuine humility.

Second, flaunting your freedom. Not every Christian has grown enough in their experience with Jesus to feel comfortable with things that once caused them trouble. For instance, though the Bible commands followers of Jesus not to “be drunk” but instead be “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), the Bible doesn’t say you can’t have a glass of wine or alcohol occasionally. But if Jesus delivered someone from a life wrecked by alcoholism, he or she might struggle watching another Christian enjoy their freedom in Christ to drink alcohol. You get the idea?

God wants us to learn from His Word a healthy balance between enjoying our freedom in Christ and caring for those who are sensitive to certain behaviors. He wants us to live in ways that honor Him and also in ways that respect and show concern for others. That takes patience and a commitment to being loving and not judgmental.

God wants us to care deeply about the spiritual well-being of our fellow Christians rather than flaunting our freedom to live as we please. Our freedom in Jesus shouldn’t cause someone else to struggle with their faith, or worse, walk away from it. That would miss the whole point of why Jesus died.

God calls all of us to live disciplined, focused lives, like athletes training for the big race. That means we work hard at staying spiritually fit, by keeping our minds and emotions alert and responsive to God’s Word. Let’s all stay motivated to run the race of faith in a way that guarantees glory and honor to God and the promise of hearing the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

1. Why is humility a necessary component of freedom in Christ?

2. Christian freedom must always be balanced with concern for the spiritual well-being of our fellow Christians. How can we strike this balance?

3. What role does obedience to Christ play in realizing our freedom in Christ?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee’s complete teachings on 1 Corinthians 8 and 1 Corinthians 9.