Freedom

As you know, part of our dream (mine and Carmen’s) was to move to Florida and spend the last 1/3 of our years near the beach in the warm weather – check those boxes off! So on this amazing 4th of July celebration, let’s talk Freedom.

If you follow me and Carmen, you see from our posts on social media that we are at the beach a lot. Except for the time spent on our renovation.  So when going to the beach, there are ‘beach rules’ that vary little from beach to beach.

Beach Rules

• No alcohol
• No dogs, except for Weegee’s favorite (and only) dog beach located at Honeymoon Island.
• No pulling the natural vegetation
• No playing with the Sharks
• And more

Unspoken Rules

There are also unspoken rules:

• Don’t blast your music next to the sand I staked out as mine
• When there is 50’ between us and the next beach umbrella or towels, don’t put your towel 6’ from mine!
• Do NOT feed the Seagulls – PLEASE, DO NOT FEED THEM especially if you are next to me.
  • Yes, I was pooped on by a Seagull once while at the beach.  ☹

Rules and etiquettes are no fun, right!  Do this, and don’t do that!  Signs, signs, everywhere there are signs. Rules, rules, rules.  I learned this early on in my ministry outreach to lost teenagers:

If you want to get them to do something, just tell them they can’t do it, and they will.

We Need Rules

But here’s where I am going.  I played sports from the youngest of kids – football, baseball, basketball, tennis, bowling, BMX, volleyball, and even more. In my childhood days in the neighborhoods, we played outside all the time. And then our parents screamed our names across the neighborhood that it was time to come home. No cell phones then. I will even include many board games such as chess, checkers, and ping pong. Does anyone remember Pong? And can you believe it, ALL of those games HAD rules!

Romans 8:2 niv

…because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 

Thank God He has given us Freedom from the law.  But think about it. In setting us free it didn’t allow us or make us think,

“Wow, I can go and do whatever I want with/to whoever I want however I want.  I don’t have rules any longer.” 

The Golden Rule

Why? Because in our every-day-walkin’-around-kind-of-life, we renew our minds with God’s word.  His word begins to live through us (and set us free).  As it lives through us, it becomes a clearer reflection of Jesus to others around us.  So now, the Golden Rule (or Holy Spirit) lives in us and is now guided by love (more on this next week), mercy, and the fruits of the spirit.  This allows us to live life to the fullest. Now instead of worrying about whether we are breaking laws and being bound by them and condemned to death by them, we have freedom.

The Law Had a Purpose

Even rules, as binding as they seem, are in place for us to be able to get the most out of life. For example a baseball game.  Just think if, during a game, we just all started making up our own rules. So for example let’s say that during the game I decide if I run to first base and back to home plate, that this counts as a run. Al the while you threw the ball to second to try and get me out. 

And you say, “No way, if you are doing that then if I catch a ground ball cleanly in my glove when you hit it, then you are out.  Then someone decides there are no fouls, every ball hit is officially in play.  Now all of a sudden we have chaos and no one is enjoying the game anymore.

I find people do that with card games – I’ve heard some of the craziest rules come out during a game. 

The Law Was Fulfilled

My point? We should be rejoicing that the law was not abolished, but fulfilled. We are now able to enjoy what the Law sat in place.  It’s a mindset, and refocus, on what we were set free from, not what we are bound by. 

Let’s just go to the beach today and enjoy the Son.  😊

John 8:36

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Challenge of the Week

Don’t be so concerned about the rules. But what the rules were set up to do was to allow you to get the most out of it. What is something you need to do in your life in order to receive the fullness of it? The fulfillment of the law set us free. We now have freedom. So be it.