June 25, 2006: 1 Corinthians 10:23 - 11:1 "The Believer's Freedoms"

Jeff Wall preaching.

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he used two short sentences to sum up the entirety of the Old Testament Scriptures:  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength," and "Love your neighbor as yourself."  Simple commands, yet impossible commands.

It is also clear that the Gospel gives us freedom:  freedom from slavery to the things that have bound is in the past.  So often, we take our freedoms too far, proclaiming "All things are lawful!" (1 Cor. 10:23)  And yet Paul stops us:  "Not all things are helpful...not all things build up.  Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor." (vv. 23-24) Idolatry keeps us from this important reality:  to do all the things for the good of another, and not for ourselves.  We must first see ourselves in light of God:  "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." (v. 26)

True Christian freedom is this:  Freedom to worship, and freedom to love.