FREEDOM

The word “freedom” can mean so differently to so many people. I am amazed. Some see freedom as freedom to do anything they feel like doing without giving any consideration to those around them. Some will fight for freedom of speech, that is, freedom to say what they feel, think and believe in. Others think freedom of speech should only have truth in it but truth that does not hurt others or embarrass others. Others said there should be no-holds barred. Some women believe that they have a right (perfect freedom) to their bodies – they can do whatever they want with it like prostitution, multiple sex partners and abortions. Some men think that they are “gods” and can do what they like as long as they have the power to do so – oppressing women (wives and daughters included), bullying others and using all kinds of unsavoury words on others!

I can go on and on with the list. But I am interested in how easy it is to talk about freedom in God when we are so bound up inside us with our own rules and laws made so stringent by the many secrets within us. Fear of exposure keeps us in bondage. Exposing our weaknesses is the other thing. We don’t want to look bad because we have an ego problem.

As long as we are on this earth with all its stain of sins, sickness, and wickedness, freedom as the world tries to grab hold of is elusive; it is chasing after the wind, it sits largely on some existential philosophical hot-head! True freedom can only be found in a Person - Jesus Christ. Without the atoning work of Christ on the cross there is no freedom from the bondage of sin. So freedom cannot be pursued and attained through some intellectual discipline. It merely gives rationality but freedom can only be found in a relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Freedom cannot be experienced through free and unrestraint expressions of an individual without regard of his neighbour. Freedom in Christ or true freedom actually has boundary.

Think about it

THE LOCAL CHURCH

Maybe we need to re-look at the whole understanding about the church – the "ecclesia" of God. The word “ecclesia” is with reference to “the called-out ones”. While I thanked God for Martin Luther who gave us freedom to be able to read the Word of God for ourselves, that our justification is by a personal faith in Christ, and that each one of us can have a personal relationship with God I also have a bone to pick with him. He is responsible of taking away the rich understanding of the working of “ecclesia” – the church of the living God. He promoted the authority of interpretation of Scriptures from the Church to the individual. He is responsible for opening the door to so many deviated and slanted teachings that came out of the Church since then. Take for example, the extreme grace teachings, and you will notice that it is a Luther teachings right to its very core – the idea of “working out your own salvation” is anathema and everything is by faith alone. That’s one of the key reasons why Luther never accepted the Epistles of James.

Coming back to some of the misleading notions about the church are:

1.   I don’t need to go to church on Sunday (or whenever a church meets) to worship. I can do it in my own home. We have people today attending virtual church in their living room. We have people making excuses for not coming to church when they are tired, already attended some spiritual events the day before, or plain lazy.

2.   The Father loves me just the same because my salvation is personal. I don’t need to be part of any group of believers. He loves me just the same. Whatever happened to the scripture that tells us not to forget to assemble ourselves together as there are some who have make it a habit not to!

3.   The moment I feel obligated to go to church it would be wrong to go. I don’t want to be a hypocrite. I know personally that my Father still loves me. There is such a thing as discipline, obedience, and diligent. There is such a thing as rebellion and walking in independence! There is such a thing as spiritual authority.

Our hearts are deceitful above all else and desperately wicked! Who can know it? Let us not deceive ourselves to think that we can get away from it all just because we sincerely believe that God loves us nuts and that He is a prodigal Father who would pamper us, love us to the socks and would never discipline us. Get our theology right, for God’s sake!

Let me make this statement: any activities, ministries, or spiritual events conducted outside the perimeter/boundaries of the local church fall under the category of para-church activities. It has always been the case that ministry flows out of a local church (a church within a given locality). At least that’s how I understood a church from the Bible. It is always not safe for ministries to be developed outside the covering of a local church authority. The local church in the New Testament always operated under the local authority of elders, otherwise, also known as bishops or overseers, but built upon the foundation of the Apostles and the Prophets. There were no ministries outside of that perimeter. When a ministry is not under the authority of the local churches, the ministry run the risk of deception, error, and there would be no pastoral guidance.

The same goes to an individual believer. If a believer is not part of a local body governed by overseers that individual is but a sheep running around in wide open space on his own without any protection or spiritual responsibility. It is time to put a stop to the notion that we can be a Christian lone ranger just in fellowship with other lone rangers without any spiritual authority except believing that we are completely under God our Father who loves us in spite of. We don’t need accountability with any local body. We can be accountable to another lone ranger to whom we enjoy fellowship and company, whom we love and “understands” us.

No one should feel obligated to agree with me OR believe me. The freedom is yours but remember, the consequence is also yours. Believe me, take the time to find out from the Bible how we ought to behave in the house of God!!