Lately, I’ve been wrestling with something I’m seeing in the church. I may have already lost the Western audience from the title, but I think Christians should be talking about this.
The phrase “Laying Down Your Freedoms” may have brought 1 Corinthians 10 to mind. To summarize a lengthy passage, Paul describes freedoms that Christians lay down with the intent to encourage and support the brothers and sisters in fellowship with us. The door is open for these freedoms to be picked back up again if doing so wouldn’t hinder others’ faith.
But there are other “freedoms” the world enjoys that Christians lay down in the grave of baptism, never to be picked up again. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how many of us realize that from the outset.
Here’s a list:
- The freedom to be unattached and independent.
- The freedom to remain unchallenged.
- The freedom to disregard the needs of others.
- The freedom to choose your neighbor.
- The freedom to excuse your sin.
- The freedom to resist reconciliation.
- The freedom to play favorites.
- The freedom to bury your gifts.
- The freedom to destroy relationships and people.
- The freedom to shame people.
- The freedom to squander your resources.
- The freedom to keep religion to yourself.
Most of the friction I’ve seen between believers in the church is rooted in one of these “freedoms.” We approach Christian community the same as we did every other area of our lives, pre-salvation. Potentially, we sprinkle in a little extra grace and kindness. We smile more, and we try our best to stop swearing. Maybe we forgive an offense twice instead of just once. But, without realizing it, we keep playing by the world’s rules instead of God’s.
“Without realizing it, we keep playing by the world’s rules instead of God’s.”
When your relationship with Christ began, did you surrender these “freedoms”?
Sadly, when Christians cling to these worldly attitudes, our neighbors don’t get a glimpse of the gospel. They get a little more of what they already see every day—division, quarrels, selfishness, greed, pride, and apathy.
This isn’t just a danger for new Christians who are unaware of the relational nature of the gospel. Mature Christians can easily spend a season, growing in like-mindedness and unity, bearing each other’s burdens and providing for the needs of others, but then, life gets difficult. Or church community does. So, we default back to the wiring of sin in our lives that makes these carnal “freedoms”—in reality, shackles—enticing again.
If the temptation for new Christians is to never engage fully, the risk for mature Christians is staying engaged. I believe strong bonds of community are the solution to both. And that takes work. It takes a desire to invite accountability into your life. It might mean having a longer wait for lunch after church because you stuck around to talk to people. Or setting another plate for dinner even if the house is a mess.
“If the temptation for new Christians is to never engage fully, the risk for mature Christians is staying engaged. I believe strong bonds of community are the solution to both.”
The sad reality is that, for many, these are revolutionary concepts. We hear that God wants to use us. We see, time and time again, that Jesus called His disciples to tend to the sick, abandoned, and forgotten. But we’d rather quietly pretend the Christian life is a convenient life and try to pray a little more or read a little more.
God never presents a purely individualistic faith as an option, so when we find ourselves yearning for just that, we need to take stock. Why are we trying to isolate? Is there something in ourselves that needs to be surrendered or confronted? Are we walking in step with the Holy Spirit?
I recently heard a story attributed to D. L. Moody. Regardless of whether this event took place, the illustration paints a vivid picture that still resonates.
D. L. Moody was visiting a prominent Chicago citizen when the idea of church membership and involvement came up. “I believe I can be just as good a Christian outside the church as I can be inside it,” the man said. Moody said nothing. Instead, he moved to the fireplace, blazing against the winter outside, removed one burning coal and placed it on the hearth. The two men sat together and watched the ember die out. “I see,” the other man said.
Some Christians need to go first on this. Will you join me in sacrificing your worldly “freedoms” for the sake of the church, loving and forgiving as Christ did for us? Will you lead the way with hospitality toward the body of Christ and the lost?