Many people value liberty, since God has given us free will and a natural desire to live with freedom. But what does true liberty look like? Liberty is much more than just the freedom to choose what we want. The Bible can help us understand the many important aspects of liberty from God’s perspective.
As we learn what the Bible says about liberty, we can enjoy living with freedom in the fullest sense of the word by lining our lives up with our Creator’s design for us. Let’s explore seven ways to reflect on liberty through a biblical lens.
1. Liberty to Love
God is love at his core, and God is the source of all love. One of the most wonderful ways God gives us liberty is the liberty to love purely, unconditionally, like he does. Our natural human tendency is often to love conditionally, based on what we receive or how others treat us. However, Jesus models a radically compassionate love that liberates us from the limits of selfishness and opens us up to closer relationships with people.
The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” This verse connects love with freedom by pointing out that true love liberates us from fear. When we’re not afraid to put love into action, we’re set free from any kind of fear, so we don’t have to worry about how others react to us. God’s complete and unconditional love for us gives us the confidence to love others as God calls us to, and that sends God’s love flowing through our lives freely.
Loving with liberty helps us build strong relationships with people, builds up communities, and brings glory to God. Jesus says in Matthew 22:37-39 that loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves is what’s most important, beyond anything else. Romans 13:10 says, “Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.” When we love with liberty, we honor God, bless others, and experience blessings ourselves in the process.
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