Tuesday I went to a conference in which the speaker talked about four different markers of a Christian. Since going to that conference I have been doing a lot of thinking about this topic. I have come to the conclusion that I don't think there are just 4 markers of being a Christian. Yes, love, being good, having wisdom, and being free are all things that mark the life of a Christian, but what about everything else that encompasses being a Christian? What about standing up for truth? What about the fact that any marker of being a Christian means nothing without the truth? I didn't agree with the speakers perception of freedom, or goodness for that matter, but I would like to concentrate on Christian Freedom for now. I felt the speaker either ran out of time or was himself confused . Either way, I feel that talking to a group of college aged kids and not being explicit about the nature of Christian Freedom is unwise. In talking with my classmates the following day, I mentioned the fact that he left freedom so open ended. One explanation from a classmate was that he thought it was the speaker's way of making us think. I'm all about thinking, that's part of the reason I started this blog, but I don't think you should leave a topic such as freedom open ended for college age students, or any age for that matter, to interpret any way they want because most of the time college students want excuses to do what they want. Plus if Truth is (as it should be) the goal, you shouldn't leave something as broad as freedom open for people to possibly use to make excuses. With that being said, I'm going to get started on what I think are the fundamentals of Christianity. These aren't markers that show the character of being a Christian, but it's my understanding of what it means to be a Christian. And it's my belief that if you accept this then your life will directly reflect it because your heart cannot help but be changed. These will be manifested in your actions and interactions with others as you strive to follow Christ. This may seem to be an "obvious" post. That's because it is, but it's something that I have been thinking about a lot lately.
First of all sin is a factor in everyone's life, "for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3: 23). Sin is not something even the "best" Christian can escape. It's the reason that Christ had to come to earth and die. It's what keeps us from having a perfect relationship with God. Before sin came into the world God walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. After sin came into the world we, both God and Humanity, began the struggle to restore that relationship. We do what we can, which is the best we can, but it's still not perfect. But God's plan is. Even though sin plagues us it doesn't mean there isn't hope. Hope came with Christ through grace, according to God's plan of Salvation. For we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:18). Grace is a gift. You can never be good enough, wise enough, or love others enough for it to be earned. Grace merely takes believing in the Truth and relying on your faith. With grace comes ultimate forgiveness. While this is simple, that is relatively uncomplicated as God has explained it to us, it is not easy. Given that we are human, believing in the Truth and relying on Faith takes work. The comfort comes from knowing that there is nothing we can do to separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). And since we all have sinned we are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). No matter what we do or what we've done, God will always love us and forgive us. Through grace we are forgiven and become free; sin no longer has a hold on us. However, we should not let ourselves get the wrong idea about the nature of this interaction between God and His creation. It may seem logical given the fact that 1. we all sin and fall short of the glory of God and we will continue to sin in our imperfect state we are in 2. because of grace we are forgiven no matter what we've done or do and 3. because of this grace we are free, then we should also be free to do whatever we want because God will forgive us because of His grace. But as Paul writes, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound [be given freely] Certainly not!" (Romans 6:1-2a). This leads me to my last point, integrity. This invited the question "how are we living out our freedom?" Paul also writes in Galatians "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty [freedom]; only do not use liberty [freedom] as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" (5:13). This means that we should not use our freedom to "take advantage" of Gods grace that He has bestowed on us. Integrity says that if we truly LOVE God then we wouldn't want to take advantage of His grace. Integrity wants to live a life that says yes I know I am a sinner, but my sin is the reason for Christ's pain and suffering. From that suffering I have been given Victory over sin, not the freedom to keep on sinning. Would I torture and continue torturing a person I love? NO! So then why would I want to continue to do this to the God I love? Is it because I can't see Him? If He's not right in front of me, then can I do whatever I want and forget about it because I'm free? NO! Integrity doesn't allow me to do this. Integrity says, yes I can't see Him, but I have faith that He is real and I believe in the sacrifice of His Son, so I wont seek out pleasures of the flesh that I know to be sins. This doesn't mean I can't have fun, rather I'm not going to seek out something that will make my God suffer. Integrity must be an essential part of freedom. We must also remember that grace and freedom did not come without a price. Christ had to die so that I can live. And now what do I do to show my gratitude? Do I continue to take advantage of God's grace, ignore my sin as sin and turn away from God, or fall on my face like David did in Psalm 51 genuinely asking for forgiveness. Ultimately when I stand in front of God I want Him to say, "Well done my good and faithful servant." I don't want to hear "Depart from Me, I never knew you." In examining these things during the past few weeks, I've realized the importance of living a life of integrity in Christ's freedom through grace. After all, that is my part in God's perfect plan.
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