“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
2 Corinthians 3:17
Jesus never said to His disciples, “Obey my rules.” Instead, He told His followers to “Obey me.” And because the Lord did not leave us with a long list of “Thou shalt nots,” we have freedom.
Jesus stripped the fear and intimidation away from obedience when He wrapped His life around His Word. What liberty! The Lord made obedience something that you would desire to do because He gave His life that you might be free. What a brilliant motivation for us to trust and obey!
Sometimes I wish that God would give me less freedom and force me to do the right things–make me obey. It would be easier that way. This “freedom stuff” carries with it a heavy weight of responsibility. I am required to discern between white and black, light and dark, good and evil. I am required to make choices. I am required to be free (Swindoll).
But that’s the beauty of the freedom of the Lord. And it is His love that makes me want to obey.
This is why Jesus said His commandments were not burdensome. Obeying God was never meant to be a chore or a duty, but a joyous response to His love.
Lord of Liberty, thank You for setting me free from the bondage of sin, death, and the law. Yours is the law of liberty, the law of love. May I never abuse this precious freedom or use it as an excuse to sin. And may I obey You with a joyful spirit, knowing that Your love is all the motivation I need.
