Slideshow image

EIBC Devotional #5 - “Freedom”

Emerald Isle Baptist Church

Pastor Zach Emory

Question(s) for Reflection

To what or whom do you feel “in bondage”?

Scripture - 1 Peter 2:13-17

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. 

To be a “free slave” is an oxymoron just like “jumbo shrimp” or “old news,” but when we submit ourselves to Christ, what we receive is freedom. The truth of the matter is that every single one of us is a slave to someone or something, whether we want to admit it or not. One’s first inclination is, “Nobody and nothing can tell me what to do,” but we are subject to our need for approval, our finances, our obligations to family and friends, governing authorities, etc. Peter reminds us that despite those overseers, we have true freedom in Christ. We are no longer slaves to a rule book. Our actions naturally reflect His Spirit dwelling within us as our desires change. Peter recognizes the fact that we are free but exhorts us to refrain from evil acts. We do so not because we are terrified of the punishment that follows from “breaking the rules” but rather because we desire to embody God’s love through our thoughts, words, and deeds. Further, when we find ourselves subject to any earthly authority, Peter urges us to submit just as Christ did so that our consciousness of God can be on full display. A little later in verse 23, he writes, “23 When they hurled their insults at [Jesus], he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to Him who judges justly.” Our only true authority is God, and the true Kingdom to which we belong is His. With that citizenship comes freedom, so live free!

Prayer:

God, our Ruler and our King, let us live with true freedom despite the chains that might bind us in this life. Let us use our freedom for the Spirit rather than the Flesh, for the Kingdom of God rather than solely the Kingdoms of Earth. In the name of our Liberator, the Lord Jesus, Amen.