Free to Be...

Monday Manna


Today is Monday Manna at An Open Book and Joanne gave us another short verse that packs a whallop.

Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. ~1 Peter 2:16

This verse seems to be the culmination of several verses just above it...

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ...Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. ~1 Peter 2:9, 12

PhotobucketWe are God's people.
PhotobucketOur lives are to proclaim Christ.
PhotobucketWe are to live above reproach.
PhotobucketOur lives are to glorify God.

Yes, it's true, we no longer live under the law, but rather under grace, but that doesn't mean we can use it as a blanket excuse for doing things we shouldn't. Just because the Bible doesn't say 'thou shalt not' do a certain thing, doesn't mean that it's okay for us to do all things. We have to look and see what the Bible tells us to do and how we're to live our lives. We are not free to do anything we want.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? ~Romans 6:1-2

In our freedom (provided through Christ's death, burial and resurrection) we are to give our lives totally to God. We are to willingly and joyfully become His bondslaves. Jesus did not die so we could go on our merry way claiming His grace and mercy as an excuse for our selfishness and self-centeredness. He freed us from our sin so that we could live our lives in such a way that God is greatly glorified. Always.

A life lived out of love for God will glorify God.

If a behavior or action will not glorify God, we shouldn't do it.
How do we know what will glorify God? By being in His Word on a regular basis and by living in a state of constant communication with Him.

Use your freedom to live for God and to be a willing and joyful bondslave of God.

4 comments:

  1. Love how you connected Joanne's verse to the context around it.

    Great stuff, Patty.

    I'm working on the "joyful" part.

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  2. What a great way to begin my Monday! This Word is soooo good, a reminder Who and what I am living for.

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  3. What good thoughts! May our lives always shine for Him.

    Vonnie

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  4. YES! Thanks SO much for putting this in context. And thanks for participating! Good reminders for us for sure.

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