Freedom

"He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.
Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
With the Lord's authority let me say this: Live no longer as the ungodly do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They don't care anymore about right and wrong, and they have given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are filled with all kinds of impurity and greed." Ephesians 4:11-19 (NLT)

What is true freedom? We live in a world that lives by the motto "whatever makes you happy". We have more and more to consume yet we live in a time full of depression and disappointment. A world so full of brokenness that the only option that many believe he/she has is to take his/her life. Anti-depressants are big business, a patch to cover the problems of the world. The answers the world brings are buy this, drink that, look this way, or wear this and all of your problems will be better. The "if only's" become the norm. A nose job, face lift, tummy tuck, liposuction, breast augmentation, etc will make everything "right". Whatever makes you happy. Sexual immorality hidden under the guise of fulfillment...it's how we were created, right?
All these things are being done out of what? Freedom...freedom to decide what is good and what is bad, as long as I'm not hurting anyone else, right? We live in a time of "tolerance" and "diversity". As long as "tolerance" means that you agree with everyone and "diversity" fits into the 'acceptable' categories determined by the powers that be. When you disagree the ones who stand behind the banner of "tolerance" deem you "intolerant" and that your views do not fit into the "diverse" views that they hold and respect. I can understand being intolerant of hate-filled speech that fills both sides of the broad spectrum of "liberal" and "conservative", but even then when discourse is allowed to occur with some basic guidelines of just having respect of opinions and no name calling a lot can be learned.
The reality of freedom is that it comes with boundaries. Otherwise there would be anarchy and truly no freedom would be allowed because others would constantly take away freedom. We have grown up in a country that over the last fifty years has had the greatest lie drummed into their brains believing that "separation of church and state" is in the constitution instead of a line written by Thomas Jefferson written to a Baptist church concerned that the state would infringe on religious freedoms by imposing a state church which was common in those days. Now the ACLU and those that wish to propagate and anti-Christian message have utilized it as a banner to infringe upon the very rights the Constitution was established to protect, the freedom to worship freely in a country wherever. Christianity has been portrayed as intolerant because it strives to preserve freedom by establishing healthy boundaries in which it can be enjoyed by all. The funny thing is that the Church, as an institution, for the most part, has bought into this lie and the secularization of the world. We have in many ways participated in our own marginalization by not mobilizing our congregations to minister to the world and be a part of the body of Christ ministering to their communities by being Christ's hands and feet.

"But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on the right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'
"Then these righteous ones will reply, `Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' And the King will tell them, `I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'
"Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, `Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons!" Mark 25:31-41 (NLT)

When we forget to serve our brothers and sisters in the world and we forget to enable and equip our congregations to do Christ's work and be Christ's body we are just as sinful as the ones who preach a gospel of happiness that is shallow and hollow. We need to speak out in love against those that wish to "grow" the church on comfortable views that are not in line with the will of God. Take a hard stand against sin, while welcoming all sinners in and letting the Holy Spirit help them to shed the sincoats and be replaced by the clean coat of Christ. We need to preach and teach against sin from our pulpits while giving the beautiful gift of freedom in Jesus Christ. We can either be bound up in sin or set free in the bonds of Christ's love. Freedom is being free to live a life fulfilled within the gifts that God has placed in each and every one of us.