More About Living in Freedom

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.

Remember the great stories in the Old Testament of people who lived and died by faith? Some were amazing; some were tragic. All of them were meant to teach us what it looks like to walk with God.

Paul retold some of these stories when he urged the Corinthian Christians to live humbly and not flaunt their newfound freedoms in Christ. Freedom should never be used to justify lifestyles that dishonor God.

Remember the way the children of Israel wandered the wilderness for 40 years? Remember the miraculous way God rescued them when He parted the Red Sea and they walked across on dry ground? They were baptized on dry land—meaning they trusted God and found the freedom of salvation. To be baptized according to the Bible is “to identify by faith” with God. For the Israelites, they trusted God’s leading through Moses and were saved. But that was not enough to keep them from sinning against the Lord. After all that, an entire generation died (all but two) because they insisted on living in idolatry. They had the freedom to live as they should but chose sin anyway.

We’re the same way. As Christians, we should want what God wants for us. We have freedoms, but we should—in our freedom—choose His best. Too easily any of us can fall into sin. The drift is often slow, the clues subtle, at times undetectable. Pay close attention to your heart’s attitude toward God’s truth. You can be a mature Christian, a real saint, and still, fall. So be careful. Follow the Lord closely and step in tune with His will. The good news is that when we do feel those strong leanings toward sin (the Bible calls them “temptations”), God promises to provide a way of escape to lead us safely back to Him. He gives us special wisdom, the Bible calls it “discernment,” to help us make godly decisions.

God tells us to run from those things that could trap us. And even though idols are not alive, powerful evil forces lay behind those things that tempt us away from God. So with our freedom in Christ comes the sober realization that sin is always with us. It impacts our ability to enjoy a close relationship with God. Don’t risk such a precious gift like that.

One way to love God is to love others sacrificially. We may be free to live as we please, but what guides our decisions, our words, responses, and actions is doing what pleases God. Everything for His glory: That is where real freedom comes from in the Christian life.

We belong to Jesus. Let’s live like it. Let’s say it with our words and especially with our actions. God loves it when we show His love and grace toward others. That’s when our lives can be the best example for others to follow as we point them to Jesus Christ all the way to heaven.

1. What good are the stories of the Old Testament for modern-day believers?

2. For the Christian, what role does discernment play in living out freedom in Christ?

3. How is a life driven by love better than a life driven by freedom or rules?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee’s complete teachings on 1 Corinthians 10:1-22 and 1 Corinthians 10:23—11:4.