An “A” for the Course

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Ga5.13 NKJV

I think most of us have known the pressures of studying for an exam, cramming, and with some anxiety, to get a passing grade for some course of study. Imagine for a moment, that your professor removes the pressure of earning a passing grade, by giving you an “A” at the beginning of the school year. In effect he is saying, “I don’t want you worried about passing the class, I want you to be free so that you might discover the joys of studying literature.” Now mind you, your professor is not doing this so you can sleep in everyday, miss and blow off the class.
In a similar sense, when a person trusts Christ, God is giving them as a gift, an “A” for the class of life. He desires to set us free from the fears of a condemning judgment. In effect He is saying, “I don’t want you to go through life afraid, I want you to experience the joys of loving me. I don’t want you to serve me as your religious duty but as your chosen delight.” God creates an environment of freedom so that real learning might happen.
Now the freedom we have in Christ is not the right to do as we please but the enabling power to do what is good. Love for God and love for others is the governing dynamic of the Christian life. There are many activities which are open to us, but our participation or non-participation in them is to be the outgrowth of our desire to please God and our desire to seek the good not only of ourselves but others. 5/22/07 ts