JULY 4, 2012
Fireworks And Freedom
Read: Galatians
5:1-14
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty
as an
opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. —Galatians 5:13
Thanks to the ingenuity of our Chinese
friends, we here in the US
celebrate our independence this month with massive
displays of
colorful fireworks.
Every year when we sing our national anthem
and enjoy the vibrant
patterns created by “bombs bursting in air,” I remind
myself that most
bombs are deadly, not beautiful like the fireworks display.
Although
both use similar ingredients, one is intended to kill; the other to
entertain.
In this metaphor we see an example of how something can be used for
both good and evil. In the hands of capable, careful, and caring people,
something dangerous becomes glorious. But the opposite is also true.
Freedom—the very thing we celebrate with
fireworks—can also be used for
good and evil. As believers in Christ, we are
free from the restrictive Mosaic
law, but the Bible warns us not to use our
spiritual freedom for selfish
purposes: “Do not use liberty as an opportunity
for the flesh, but through
love serve one another” (Gal. 5:13).
Not everyone has political and religious
freedom, but all believers in
Christ have spiritual freedom. We must not use it
as a weapon to impose
our will on others but to display the glory of God’s
will.
Free from the law—O happy condition!
Jesus hath bled, and there is remission;
Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall,
Grace hath redeemed us once for all. —Bliss
Freedom
doesn’t give us the right to do what we please, but to
do what pleases God.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
