Happy 4th of July weekend! Since freedom and independence are the undercurrents of tomorrow’s celebrations, I thought now might be a good time to talk about Christian freedom, which when properly understood leads to fullness of life in Christ. Before moving to that topic, though, I think it appropriate to note the complexities of celebrating American independence. On July 4, it is possible to celebrate the promise of American freedom and the sacrifices made for it while at the same time admitting the shortcomings of our history and working for a better present. Patriotism should include a commitment to achieving the United States’ founding ideals for all its citizens rather than boxing out critique and debate. That said, let’s now take a look at freedom from the Christian vantage point.
When we think about freedom, our first instinct is often to think in terms of freedom from constraint. This is a true and needed meaning of the term, especially when we talk about freedom from oppression. And, we should note that the New Testament speaks of this kind of freedom for Christians. In Christ, we have been set free from the anti-God powers in this world.
That is only half the story, though. To understand the other side of Christian freedom, it is helpful to think of musicians. I myself play a little acoustic guitar of the praise and worship variety, which means I’m passable in a church service but not in most other venues. Andy McKee, on the other hand, is one of the greatest acoustic guitar players in the world. I still remember seeing the viral YouTube video of his song “Drifting.” I was utterly dumbfounded as I watched McKee play his guitar in ways I had never even imagined. (If you’re interested you can see that video here - you’re welcome!) In a very real way, Andy McKee is free to play the guitar in ways that I am not. You can make the same argument regarding masters of other disciplines. Whereas we might refer to freedom from constraint as freedom from, the freedom that comes with mastery is more of a freedom to.
The interesting thing about the freedom of mastery is that it comes through submission. No doubt many of the top performers in their various fields have some degree of natural talent, yet you don’t get to the top by raw talent alone. Instead, top performers submit themselves to teachers and practice regimens that hone their skills until those skills become second nature. The freedom of mastery - freedom to - requires devotion and submission to the craft. The other side of Christian freedom is like that, but with an important caveat. Because of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives, Christian freedom comes through empowered submission to Jesus. Let’s take a minute to break that down.
One way of understanding Jesus is to see him as the true human. We humans have a long history of failing both corporately and individually to fulfill our God-given vocation, which is defined in Genesis as imaging God as stewards of his creation. To put that differently, we are meant to show the world and one another what God is like in the ways we structure ourselves, our communities, and the world around us. We don’t have to look far to find that we fall short. I think that’s what Paul meant in Romans 3:23 when he said that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (NIV) All of us fail to show forth God’s glory - to image him - in the fullness of our lives. Yet, God the Son took on human flesh and fulfilled the vocation that we fail. In this, Jesus shows us the meaning of humanity.
All that said, it is important to note the invitation that Jesus issued during his earthly ministry - “Follow me.” This is akin to a master musician inviting students to come under her tutelage. To follow Jesus is to engage in the process of becoming good and whole human beings through submission to his way. Deeply involved in this process of becoming is the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus poured out on his people after his ascension. Among other things, scripture tells us that the Spirit reminds us of Jesus’ teachings, leads us into all truth, and transforms us into Jesus’ image. To put a sharper edge on things, Galatians 5 tells us that the Spirit produces the following fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. After we put aside all of the Christian speak, this looks remarkably like the work of the Spirit involves making us into good people as we follow Jesus. When this happens, we - both individually and corporately - are made free to live more fully into the human vocation. Christian freedom comes through Spirit-empowered submission to Christ.
Now let’s bring freedom from constraint back into the picture. As noted above, in Christ, we have been set free from the anti-God powers of this world. This freedom from makes us free to name Jesus as Lord and live as his disciples. Once we put all of this together, we begin to understand the nature of Christian freedom. Importantly, we will never fully “arrive” on this side of the second coming. Yet, we are molded and transformed as we follow Christ. In him, we become more and more free to live into God’s intention for humanity.
In the past year and a half, we’ve heard the idea of freedom bandied about quite a bit in evangelical circles. Most often it has dealt with the perceived infringement of personal freedom represented in public health measures like mask-wearing, physical distancing, and responsible worship. The important thing to see is that while this is one view of freedom, it is not the Christian view. For Christians, the primary stance is not, “You can’t make me!” as if freedom from constraint is the highest good. Rather, we are people who ask the question, “What does the Master say?” If by the Spirit we can discern the answer to that question (which always points in the direction of loving God and loving our neighbors), we can walk in the way of freedom. For, it is through empowered submission to Jesus that we become truly free.
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