The Christian is “no longer under the law, but under grace.” This freedom for saved people is not intended for them to satisfy their sinful natures to receive more grace, but for them to be slaves of righteousness, ambassadors of Christ, and children of light.
“For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection released Christians from the obligation to obey the law of Moses. When Christ died and rose again, those who are in Christ experienced a type of spiritual death and resurrection that frees them from the responsibility of obeying God’s laws. Being under grace doesn’t mean we are licensed to sin as we please freely.
We are “slaves” to whomever we serve. Choose to serve righteous living, to become slaves to righteous living, rather than deciding to follow sin, and again become slaves to sin.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
Christ suffered an agonizing death on the cross to pay for God’s gift of your salvation. Therefore, we should choose to be “slaves to righteousness” rather than “slaves to sin.”:
“For God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
When we became a Christian, our old self was crucified with Jesus, so our “body” ruled by sin would no longer exist. Thus, “we are no longer slaves to sin, because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” We no longer have sin as our master, so let’s not allow sin to rule your “body”, causing you to obey its evil temptations.
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness” (Romans 6:12-13).
“Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves” (1 Peter 2:16).
Being a slave to God involves “being wholly devoted and obedient to God; submitting daily our will to God’s purposes”. Not only should we choose not to sin, but we should also choose to be God’s servant, daily deciding to be an ambassador for Christ as we chase our God-given purpose.
When we are an ambassador for Christ, we represent and embody Christ in every sphere of our lives. This involves sharing the gospel message which can liberalize sinners from slavery to sin; lead man to an intimate relationship with Christ which will free man from hell; enable sinners to become children of God and to experience love of the Father; and restore and rehabilitate human broken lives and relationships, happening through a love relationship with the Father while being empowered by the Spirit to love like Christ (must get saved before this happens). Being an ambassador of Christ also entails “reflecting Christ’s love and character in your actions and interactions with others” and “living in a way that draws people to Christ and demonstrates His teachings.”
Ephesians 5:8: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”
God desires everyone to be free from slavery to sin, to experience heaven rather than hell, and to become children of God, where God can rehabilitate people’s lives and this world through His perfect love. By surrendering our lives to God and embracing our God-given dreams, through the leading and empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can be a light to those in darkness, who are enslaved by the consequences of being a slave to sin.
To be a light for Jesus, we must not be enslaved again by a yoke of slavery to sin, allowing darkness to extinguish our light of being children of light.
“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13).
Our light shines brightly when we love one another as Christ loved us. When we love one another, we become proof that we are Christ’s disciples and, therefore, become good ambassadors for Christ.
Jesus is the “light of the world”. “Whoever follows Christ will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12).
When we shine our light brightly by loving others through the leading and empowerment of the Spirit, those in darkness can see Jesus in us, the “light of the world.” And if they follow the light, they “will never walk in darkness.” They can escape hell and be freed from being slaves to sin, and have the Spirit’s power in them not to be “yoked again by slavery to sin”. This dark world can become bright as love and righteous living would overcome slavery to sin. When people are transformed by the light of Jesus, broken lives and relationships can be rehabilitated and restored through the power of Christ’s love working within them. When the world becomes followers of Christ, choosing to love one another and not being controlled by sin, the light of Jesus can overpower the darkness in the world caused by the consequences of sin. The world can be transformed into a new creation, one that embodies righteous living and Christ, and people can be freed from the slavery of sin. The gospel changes more lives, the more lives experience freedom, and potentially, the better the world we live in.
Our Spirit-Empowered Potential
When we choose to abide in the Spirit daily, we receive the leading and empowerment from Him to shine brightly as children of light. Below are three verses that delineate our potential of making a difference as children of light, as we consistently abide in the Spirit:
“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).
“I can do all things through Christ, which strengthened me” (Philippians 4:13).
“With man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
“Even though the world is large, one person can still make a world of difference.” (Frank Sonnenberg).
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”. (Matthew 5:14-16)
“Love is a great gift, cherish it, share it, and make this world a better place with the love you have to give (Heather Wolf).
“Never underestimate the valuable and important difference you make in every life you touch. For the impact you make today has a powerful rippling effect on every tomorrow” (Anonymous)
“Small changes and small steps can create massive impact.” (Melissa McCreery). When you create a difference in someone’s life, you not only impact their life, you impact everyone influenced by them throughout their entire lifetime. No act is ever too small. One by one, this is how to make an ocean rise” (Unknown)
“When you make loving others the story of your life, there’s never a final chapter, because the legacy continues. You lend your light to one person, and he or she shines it on another and another and another” (Oprah Winfrey).
“Each of us can make a difference. Together we make change” (Barbara Mikulski).
Every Christian is an ambassador for Christ. For the sake of freedom, when the majority of Christians daily choose to be slaves of righteousness and therefore act as children of light, the world can be changed. When there is enough light shed by Christians everywhere, this dark world can see the light of Jesus, who has the power to free a world of people enslaved by sin. Light always overpowers darkness, and when there is no darkness because there is sufficient light to make darkness bright, there is freedom, as people can see where they are going, as they no longer “walk in darkness”. By choosing to be children of light daily, and through the completion of your God-given dreams, each of our lives can be used by God to help people in your sphere find freedom from being slaves to sin.
Conclusion
The world is in dire need of faith, hope, and love as countless people struggle with the consequences of living in a world where there is slavery to sin. Love provides hope, giving people a reason to have faith. Without love, there is no hope in the world.
We show our love to others when we are willing to be God’s slave, an ambassador of Christ. We show our love to people and God when we act as children of light. We act as children of light when we show Christ’s love.
Without love, whatever we do in life is a waste. Everything we do must be out of love. Nothing matters if we don’t act in love. Therefore, we must become slaves to righteousness and be children of light, living a daily life of Spirit-empowered love.
Other Articles In This Series:
Learning To Trust In The Love Of The Father
Sources:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/true-freedom-christ
https://biblehub.com/q/what_does_being_free_in_christ_mean.htm
https://biblehub.com/romans/6-18.htm
https://www.gotquestions.org/for-freedom-Christ-has-set-us-free.html
https://www.bibleref.com/Romans/7/Romans-chapter-7.html
https://biblehub.com/topical/s/slavery_to_god.htm