We Are Called To Freedom
Romans 8:2
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
As Pastor Daniel prepared this week’s message, he reflected on what it means to be set free in Christ and asked, what is freedom?
He illustrated with a scenario: a man comes home from work and asks his wife to cook pasta. She thinks about it and says no. He then asks for steak, and again she declines, so he goes to bed hungry. The next day, he visits a friend. When the friend asks his own wife for pasta, she immediately agrees. He then changes his mind and asks for steak instead, and she again says yes without hesitation. Amazed, the man asks how his friend gets his wife to do whatever he wants. The friend replies, “I programmed her to always say yes.”
Pastor Daniel then asked: which couple truly has a relationship? Though the first man doesn’t get what he wants, there is a real relationship because there is freedom. The second has control, not love. True relationships require the freedom to choose.
The same is true with God. Why did God give Adam and Eve free will, knowing they would fail? Because without choice, they would have been drones, not people capable of love. From the beginning, freedom has been essential for real relationships.
So if we are called to be free, what should we do with our freedom?
1. Give others the freedom to be different.
God made each of us uniquely. Rather than forcing others to fit our expectations, we should extend grace and grow in understanding. If we are united in Christ, there is always common ground for relationship. Pastor Daniel challenges us to look beyond differences, especially with those who are hardest to love.
2. Use our freedom to stand alone before God.
Being accepted as we are does not mean we don’t need to grow. We are all imperfect, but our spiritual maturity cannot depend on others. Community helps, but each of us is responsible for seeking God daily and being shaped by His truth.
3. Use our freedom to stand on the same side.
While others cannot complete us, they can stand with us. In our spiritual battles, we are called to support one another — as spouses, friends, family, and fellow believers — meeting people where they are in their growth. Standing on the same side is not about moral superiority but empathy.
Pastor Daniel points to John 8, where the Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery to Jesus. Though the law justified punishment, Jesus said, “Let the one without sin throw the first stone.” After they left, He told the woman to sin no more. Jesus stood with her not by excusing sin, but by showing mercy.
As we enter this week, remember that we are called to freedom. Use that freedom to grow more like Jesus by seeking God daily. Show grace and patience with others, recognizing they are not you and you are not them. Stand with people in their struggles, and allow others to support you in yours — but take responsibility for your own spiritual battles. In doing so, we live in true freedom and deepen our loving relationship with God and with one another.
Reflection Questions:
1. Is there someone in your life you struggle to accept because they are different from you? What would it look like to love that person while still allowing them freedom?
2. What personal spiritual habit could you strengthen right now (prayer, Scripture, repentance, worship)?
3. Who in your life is currently in a spiritual or emotional battle? How can you stand with them this week in a practical way?
