Freedom and Duty

“So the commander went over and asked Paul, ‘Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?’ ‘Yes, I certainly am,’ Paul replied. ‘I am, too,’ the commander muttered, ‘and it cost me plenty!’ Paul answered, ‘But I am a citizen by birth!’” (Acts 22:27-28 NLT)

Citizenship is a key ingredient in the issue of freedom. Some Nations’ leaders in our world today want to drastically restrict the freedoms of their citizens for fear their independent thinking will give rise to rebellion or resistance. That is no place more notable than in the New Testament when Christianity became such a driving force in the Roman world.

The context of the above verses illustrates a point of conflict between Roman rule and the freedom Paul enjoyed as a citizen of Heaven. Yes, he was also a Roman citizen, but what got him in trouble wasn’t his allegiance to Rome, but His allegiance to King Jesus. It will get us in trouble today, but not necessarily for the reasons you might expect.

Freedom implies duty, responsibility to live and abide by the governing principles of the authority to whom we yield our allegiance. That’s never more true than when we become a child or God, yielding our eternal allegiance to our King, the Lord Jesus. To believe we can mumble a few words of “prayer” and believe our “duty” to God is complete is to jump in a raft on the shoreline of the ocean and believe our trip across that ocean is complete.

Salvation begins at confession and belief, but it certainly doesn’t end there. Our allegiance to King Jesus is tested every day in the challenges we face in determining to whose “lordship” we’ll bow. Satan, while powerless to force our allegiance, will continue to tempt and interrupt our heart and mind as he seeks to distract us from the duty to which the Lord calls us. And what “duty” is that? Holiness! Christlikeness!

The writer of the Hebrew letter reminds us that “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14 NLT) The writer is using language that implies effort, as though we’re being pursued by those with intent to harm us. Our work to allow the Spirit to perfect His holiness in us demands attentiveness and intentional effort.

Holiness isn’t the sum total of all our individual efforts, it’s the opening of our mind, heart, and body to the unhindered authority of the Holy Spirit to use us in any way He sees fit: to speak to us and through us in times and places of His choosing, to offer help to those in need, to give of our resources, or to serve in whatever way the Spirit directs us to give of ourselves, even unto death.

John Foster Dulles reminds us: “Freedom & duty always go hand in hand and if the free do not accept the duty of social responsibility, they will not long remain free.” That’s never more true than in our walk with Jesus. When we content ourselves with our “personal salvation”, neglecting to share our faith with others, we’re not only limiting our own freedom, we’re restricting the Spirit’s freedom to use us as He wishes.

As Jesus’ followers, we’re not our own, we are bought at a very high cost, the priceless blood of our Savior, so, to pretend we have no debt of gratitude to the Lord for the freedom He purchased on our behalf is to smugly pretend we earned our own salvation, thus, illustrate very vividly our lostness and uselessness to God’s Kingdom. Our duty is first and foremost to Jesus, then to the Spirit who rules our life. Our freedom in Christ is reflected in and through our dependence upon and submission to the Spirit.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊