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

This week we will celebrate the freedom we enjoy in this country, but how many of us understand freedom? In the passage above Paul says we as Christians are called to live in freedom, but many people I know view the life of a follower of Christ as anything but free. They see Christianity as nothing more than another set of rules and restrictions. Are they correct? Only if we miss the mark by either shifting our focus from freedom to legalism or taking our freedom for granted.

I remember hearing freedom described a living your life to the fullest. You’ve heard the term “a fish out of water,” right? If you’ve been fishing you’ve seen a fish flapping around in the boat or on the shore struggling because a fish out of the water is or will be a dead fish. It needs the restrictive water in order to thrive.

Likewise, living within the framework God created for us is the best way to get the most out of life.

I think I can sum it up in one statement: Christ came to set us free from sin not free to live in sin.In fact, the Christian life is the only way to resist the slavery of greed or lust or power. But this does not mean that we can do whatever we like.

Would you describe your life as one of freedom? Are you really free in the manner in which Christ intended or have we settled for something less?