Who Are Free Christians?
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Serving the Community, Serving the Church
Serving Jesus.Why "Free Christians"
We purposely chose the name "Free Christians" to denote our deep conviction concerning spiritual freedom - this wonderful gift of God in Christ Jesus. We believe that Jesus gave up His own life to defend human freedom.
Freedom is an essential part of humanity. Humanity bears God's image, and this image can only be expressed in freedom. God is the essence of freedom and we are all called to live in freedom. This means that we can relate to one another and to God in true freedom. This is very important because only in freedom can love be expressed.
Without freedom we cannot love one another or God. We cannot love one another with threats, with coercion, with force or with violence. Neither can we love God under threat of rejection or punishment. This is why we proclaim that humanity is free to enjoy the love of God.
Another word for freedom is liberty. We could therefore say that Free Christians are Liberal Christians. The two terms are synonymous. We prefer the term Free Christians however because the term "Liberal Christians" has been stereotyped as the opposite of "Conservative Christianity". It is interesting to note that conservative Christians view liberty ( that is freedom ) as something bad, negative or even evil. In an inversion of values they equate liberty with Satan and slavery with God! It is also not a coincidence that Conservative Christianity is a natural ally of oppressive states and governments. Throughout the troubled history of Christianity, the Conservative side of the Church has always opposed freedom. Conservativism has a lot to do with a religious kind of morality. This "morality" however is contrary to the spirit of Jesus:
"Morality encourages a focus on ritual and the fulfillment of religious duty, such as attendance at churches, the saying of prayers, and reading religious materials among other duties. This form of religion has often resulted in an intolerance of others and the condemnation of diversity of thought and behavior. It finds its contemporary expression in various forms of fundamentalism which comfortably support the domination of others both militarily and economically. It is unashamedly conservative and capitalist. This is, in fact, considered good Christianity. But it is a total emasculation of Jesus who stood for radical freedom and love. His life and message completely undermined morality and religiosity and demanded a total commitment to giving all, sharing all, and accepting all as equal. His call was to freedom, creative innovation, and spontaneous human response... Morality is not the demand of God. God simply requires that we become less animal and more human. The human God wills that we free ourselves of all controlling relationships. He requires that we join and enjoy the great party of human life which can not be bound within organizational structures such as those of religion. We are obligated quite simply to fully join the human race" ( W. Krossa "The Freedom and Responsibility to be human" )
We dismiss as untrue the conservative argument that liberalism promotes "sin" etc. Those that want to sin, sin anyway. History has shown that not even the conservative Christian's threats of hell can stop people from sinning... Instead it is those who seek spiritual freedom that find the strength to manage their own lives in dignity and goodness.
Those who seek freedom however are seen as a real threat by the Conservative religious establishment, since the freedom seekers tend to undermine the power-claims of the establishment. This is why Jesus was arrested and killed by the authorities of His day. This is why Paul the Apostle was accused of promoting sin because he preached religious freedom.
So let us make something clear. By saying we promote religious freedom, we do not say to people "to go out and sin", whatever that means. Instead we tell people to stop being irresponsible and to start being responsible for their own lives. We are irresponsible when we have others tell us what to do or not to do. We are irresponsible when we let others control our lives. We are irresponsible when we allow others to control or define our relationship with God. This is why many people fear freedom. They really fear the responsibility that comes with freedom.
Spiritual freedom is very important, because only in freedom we can experience God. There is no room for threats or coercion here. We are talking about God. Our wise Abba knows well that we cannot possibly love Him if we fear Him. He also knows that love and faith can only be expressed in true freedom:
"Why believe? (Using "believe" for participating in faith.) We have no answer for it. Believe for what? With an eye to what? To achieve what? To get what? We believe for nothing. There is no objective reason for faith; you have to live it. Faith has no origin or objective. The moment it admits of any objective, it ceases to be faith. If you believe in God in order to be protected, shielded, healed, or saved, then it's not faith, which is gratuitous. This will prove shocking, especially to Protestants, who have talked so much about salvation through faith, about faith as the condition of salvation, that they end up saying you believe so that you'll be saved. But we have to keep coming back to grace and its gratuitousness. If God loves and saves humankind without asking any price, the counterpart to this is that God intends to be believed and loved without self-interest or purpose, simply for nothing. It is scandalous, and yet so easy to understand when you think of love. The moment that a man and a woman love one another for something, whether it be for money or prestige or beauty or job, it is no longer love. Love is without cause and selfish interests; love is without reason" ( Jaques Ellul, "The Living Faith: Belief and Doubt in a Perilous World". San Francisco: Harper and Row, Publishers. 1983, quoted from www.Christinyou.net )
It is not only us that relate to God in freedom. God relates to us just as freely. The great Christian visionary Father Lev Gillet, once said: "Limitless Love ( God ) forces open doors. Perhaps I had not achieved some sort of peaceful coexistence with God. Perhaps I had succeeded in believing that, as far as my soul was concerned, I was more or less "in good order," and so had come to feel more or less at rest…And now all those presuppositions have been turned upside down by a divine intrusion. God asks something from me that I am quite unprepared for. It is like the news of an unwanted child…To listen to this demand, to take the costly decision, ah, but why? Everything seemed to be going so well! Must I have new uncertainties and anxieties?..And now limitless Love wants to erupt into my life. It comes to upset everything in it. It comes to break up what seemed stable and to open new horizons to which I had never given a thought" ( Father Lev Gillet In Thy Presence, Crestwood NY: SVSP, 1977, pp. 37-38. source: Father Lev Gillet, The Monk in the City, a Pilgrim in many worlds: http://www.jacwell.org/spring )
Wendell Krossa also explains the necessity of spiritual freedom:
"Contrary to most religious belief and practice, in Jesus we see that God would join the human race and give humanity an example of joining life with all its diversity and freedom from control and coercion. The human God that Jesus would reveal, embraced all of human life and all of humanity equally. Jesus being fully human is a bold statement by God that being human is all right. It is good. The human God that Jesus revealed is also the most profound blow against animal-like control that can be found anywhere in human history. This God who wills that we become fully part of humanity puts an end to all superiority and rule of human persons. In willing to become equal with humanity, God is stating that all life is moving away from the domination of animal existence and toward the new equality of humanity. Jesus, however, has been coopted and used by religious people in a millennia long effort to convert normal human beings to a tightly ordered and controlled religious existence. It is a stifling and restrictive existence of rules, rules, and more rules."
"To convert someone to a religious lifestyle often results in the destruction of essential elements of their humanity such as the freedom to question, to challenge authority, and to creatively explore alternatives. Religion is about submission to divine authority and the total control of the individual, including thought control. This is a severe distortion of the message of Jesus who consistently sought to inspire human freedom, human relating and existence. Becoming religious, in the institutional manner of most world religions, is too often completely incompatible with being human. The only obligation we need to hold, then, is to be human. God has inspired people to be human in the example he has given in the life of persons such as the human Jesus. This is, you might say, the new law"
"Jesus treated every person as an absolute equal- both women and men, old and young, both religious and nonreligious, both those from his own ethnic group and those from other groups. He adamantly refused to climb through hierarchical arrangements to occupy a position above any other person or set himself aside from others as special or different. He made consistent effort to seek the company of the lowest strata of hierarchical society and he severely rebuked those who sought to separate themselves out from common humanity as special and then climb above and dominate others. In doing this, he showed that being truly human does not involve the climbing of hierarchical institutions or the dominating of others in any way. In fact, Jesus took a active stance against domination or control in any form. When people tried to coerce him to become a ruling king, he refused and fled back to the company of those at the bottom of the hierarchical order of his day. He insisted that the truly human God came to serve, not to be served. If anyone would lead, said Jesus, then he must be the slave of all. If you would influence others, he was saying, then do so by inspiring example, not by dominating position or coercing command... Jesus accepted and loved all humans equally. Race, gender, age, economic or social status, religious or political ideology or other distinctions did not even enter his thinking regarding others. His one demand for true human relating and behavior was love. All the complex and dehumanizing law of religious systems was purposely pushed aside as he focused on this one essential for human life- treat others as humans. This is love. It is the only law for humanity" ( see articles 16-19 "The Freedom and Responsibility to be human" from the series "Taking The Vertical Out Of God" by W. Krossa: http://home.istar.ca/~wkrossa/articles.html )
The bottom line is that we should not settle for religious enslavement of any kind because of fear. God desires that we enjoy His love in freedom. Free Christians take very seriously their spiritual freedom and they treasure it. It is the greatest gift!
Biblical references to Spiritual Freedom
The Protestant branch of Christianity adheres to the creed "Sola Scriptura", or the "Bible Only". This of course creates many problems, since freedom can never be served by a written text ( See The "Bible Only" Heresy ). Freedom has to do with living beings. It is therefore best served by the Spirit. Either way, there are many things that have been said about freedom outside the Biblical texts. For example the father of the Protestant movement Martin Luther once said, "A Christian man is a most free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian man is a most dutiful servant of all, subject to all."
There are several references to freedom in the Biblical texts, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. The various authors of the Biblical texts expressed in different ways their views on freedom. Some biblical writers failed to understand the true dynamics of spiritual freedom and taught instead religious enslavement. Others, like St. Paul, managed to develop somewhat healthier views about freedom, but he too was limited by the cultural mindset of his day. For example, back in those days, God was seen as a despot, as a dominating ruler to whose authority people should obey "in fear and trembling". Two thousand years later we know that this is not the case. Today we recognise that God is not a Middle Eastern despot, nor a "King" or an "Emperor" who needs to be served by human slaves. Today we recognise that all these ancient metaphors reflect mistaken notions about God. The myth of a Monarch up there in the sky, no longer makes any sense in the 21st Century. Therefore care must always be taken when the ancient texts are consulted.
For those who want to study the Biblical record we offer below a compilation of Bible verses and Bible Study Notes on the topic of freedom:
( Reference: The Living Bible, Notes Believers Study Bible )
Free, Freedom Released or exempted from restrictions; acquitted; independent.
In the Greek-speaking world of the first century, "freedom" indicated citizens' rights in a community. This political sense is not found in Scripture, nor is the idea that "freedom" is a license to do whatever one pleases. Instead, the Bible views freedom against a background of bondage, both literal and spiritual.
THE MODEL
The scriptural approach goes back to the Exodus. God's people were slaves in Egypt, helpless under their oppressors. God intervened through Moses, and by powerful acts forced the Egyptians to release his people. God himself then taught the Israelites how to live righteously, and continued to intervene against their enemies, giving them a land where they could live, free from every oppressing power. Each element in biblical concept of freedom is present in this experience of Israel. (1) Mankind is oppressed and helpless. (2) God acts to redeem, winning his people's release. (3) The freed people lives righteous lives. (4) God continues to act for his people to preserve their freedom from oppressing powers.
SPIRITUAL FREEDOM
Gal 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom ; not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love.
The NT follows the same paradigm in its teaching on Christian freedom. (1) Humanity is in bondage to sin, and no one can free himself from its chains. (2) God has acted in Christ to redeem, setting us free from both sin and the Law. (3) Freed from sin's bondage, we can live truly righteous lives (4) God, through his Holy Spirit acts within us to enable us to remain free of the oppressing power of sin and the Law. Major biblical passages which explore the nature of Christian freedom include: John. 8:31-36; Rom. 6:15-23; 8:1-14; and Gal. 5:1-26 We must keep this entire biblical context in mind as we study relevant passages For instance, when Paul writes, "For freedom . . . Christ has set us free" (Gal. 5:1), he is not saying that we are free to do whatever we please, but that we are free to do God's will. The Christian is freed by Christ to be righteous and do righteousness, and so to avoid the harmful consequences which always come from doing wrong. Thus Christian freedom, while a release from the oppression of sin, is not found in independence. Rather, Christian freedom is found in choosing to serve God. Only by taking a new master, Christ, can we truly be released from the power of our old masters, sin and the Law. According to 2 Pet. 2:19, false teachers promise a freedom to follow the desires of the sinful human nature, but "they themselves are slaves of depravity." Christian freedom is found in the disciplined doing of good, not in the wanton exercise of human license.
John 8:31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 33 "But we are descendants of Abraham," they said. "We have never been slaves to anyone on earth. What do you mean, ‘set free’?" 34 Jesus replied, "I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.
Romans 6:15 So since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you have obeyed with all your heart the new teaching God has given you. 18 Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness. 19 I speak this way, using the illustration of slaves and masters, because it is easy to understand. Before, you let yourselves be slaves of impurity and lawlessness. Now you must choose to be slaves of righteousness so that you will become holy. 20 In those days, when you were slaves of sin, you weren’t concerned with doing what was right. 21 And what was the result? It was not good, since now you are ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. 5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. 9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.) 10 Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you. 12 So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
Galatians 5:1 So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. 2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ cannot help you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favour with God by being circumcised, you must obey all of the regulations in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. 5 But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive everything promised to us who are right with God through faith. 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, it makes no difference to God whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. 7 You were getting along so well. Who has interfered with you to hold you back from following the truth? 8 It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. 9 But it takes only one wrong person among you to infect all the others—a little yeast spreads quickly through the whole batch of dough! 10 I am trusting the Lord to bring you back to believing as I do about these things. God will judge that person, whoever it is, who has been troubling and confusing you. 11 Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why would the Jews persecute me? The fact that I am still being persecuted proves that I am still preaching salvation through the cross of Christ alone. 12 I only wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves. 13 For you have been called to live in freedom—not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbour as yourself." 15 But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.
Living by the Spirit’s Power
Gal 5:16 So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. 18 But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to the law. 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another.
2Pet 2:19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 20 And when people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the right way to live than to know it and then reject the holy commandments that were given to them. 22 They make these proverbs come true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and "A washed pig returns to the mud."
A Closer Look At Scripture
These verses address how, under the lordship of Christ, we can balance Christian freedom and Christian responsibility. A number of principles informing us how to strike the delicate balance may be gleaned: (1) We dare not be judgmental in disputable or gray areas (Rom 14:1–5). (2) We must all stand ultimately only before God (Rom 14:10). (3) Each individual should be convinced in his own mind as to the rightness or wrongness of an action (Rom 14:5). (4) One must not put a stumbling block in the way of his brother (Rom14:13). (5) One must always act in love (Rom 14:15). (6) One must pursue actions which promote peace (Rom14:19), (Col 3:12). (7) One must seek to edify others by his own actions (Rom 14:19). (8) One must do only that which can be done in faith (Rom 14:22, 23). (9) One must seek to glorify God (Rom 15:6). (10) We must always accept one another, even when we disagree over doubtful things (Rom 15:5-7).
Romans 14:1Accept Christians who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it is all right to eat anything. But another believer who has a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who think it is all right to eat anything must not look down on those who won’t. And those who won’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to condemn God’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord’s power will help them do as they should. 5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. Each person should have a personal conviction about this matter.
Disputable matters- one more example
Romans 14:5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. Each person should have a personal conviction about this matter.
Romans 15:5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified. 8 Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. 9 And he came so the Gentiles might also give glory to God for his mercies to them.
Colossians 3:12 Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Romans 14:10 So why do you condemn another Christian? Why do you look down on another Christian? Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say, " ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow to me and every tongue will confess allegiance to God.’ "12 Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God.
One must not put a stumbling block in the way of his brother
Romans 14:13 So don’t condemn each other anymore. Decide instead to live in such away that you will not put an obstacle in another Christian’s path.
Romans 14:15 And if another Christian is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16 Then you will not be condemned for doing something you know is all right. 17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you, too.
Romans 14:19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. 20 Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves. But it is wrong to eat anything if it makes another person stumble. 21 Don’t eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another Christian to stumble. 22 You may have the faith to believe that there is nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves by doing something they know is all right. 23 But if people have doubts about whether they should eat something, they shouldn’t eat it. They would be condemned for not acting in faith before God. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
Scripture Ref : The Living Bible, Notes Believers Study Bible
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