With freedom comes responsibility

With freedom comes responsibility is taken from a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. The full quote says: “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.”

Well today we have a lot of people operating from the perspective of being a frightening prospect. We have liberties with no restraints. Our liberties have become our covering for evil. This is just what Peter was warning the early church. We are to be Gods servants. This word bondservant doulos is the same word for slave. 5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. ().

says and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

English Standard Version Chapter 13

39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

What many fail to understand is that we are bought with a price and since we are bought with the precious blood of Christ we belong to him. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (). We have freedom. The freedoms of the Christian life are freedom from the impossible obligation to earn merit before God by perfect obedience, freedom from guilt (; ), and freedom from the ruling power of sin 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

What many fail to understand is that we are bought with a price and since we are bought with the precious blood of Christ we belong to him. Yet he gives us free will. With freedom comes responsibility. I know we have adopted the attitude that we can do what we want, say what we want, go where we want yet we have a responsibility to God not to shame him. Look what Peter says 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. ().

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Yet he gives us free will. With freedom comes responsibility. I know we have adopted the attitude that we can do what we want, say what we want, go where we want yet we have a responsibility to God not to shame him. Look what Peter says 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. ().

What many fail to understand is that we are bought with a price and since we are bought with the precious blood of Christ we belong to him. Yet he gives us free will. With freedom comes responsibility. I know we have adopted the attitude that we can do what we want, say what we want, go where we want yet we have a responsibility to God not to shame him. Look what Peter says 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. ().

Yet he gives us free will. With freedom comes responsibility. I know we have adopted the attitude that we can do what we want, say what we want, go where we want yet we have a responsibility to God not to shame him. Look what Peter says 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. ().

I want to focus on verse number 17 for a moment. Peter says if we are to use freedom responsibly we need to do 4 things

Honor Everyone

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Literally show respect to everyone. Christians should be courteous and respectful to all people. This principle condemns much of man’s treatment of his fellows man both in the political and in the industrial world. There is much disrespect in the world today. Our country, Our political parties. Either you are blue or red. what ever side you on you cant seem to respect the others views. We lost respect for our elders. children don’ t respect parents, teachers, police officers, those in government. People don’t respect pastors anymore. its a different world where respect is missing. we need to return back to respecting one another.

Grudem, W. A. (1988). 1 Peter: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 17, p. 130). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Love the brotherhood

We need a stronger love for each other. This is the one thing that Jesus told us to do and we cant seem to do it. The Hebrew writer says let brotherly love continue but i’m afraid we have even started it. This love is love in spite of. It requires the Holy Spirit working in us. Love is so important in the Church. When we show love one to another the world we see us as that city that sits on a hill. That light that can not be hid. god is love and if e are to be Children of God then Love is a requirement!

For the one not loving his brother, whom he has seen, is not able to love God, whom he has not seen. New American Standard Bible. If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another."

If you having problems loving your brother and I am saying loving each other then read 1 John chapters 1 and 2.Keep reading it until you get it!

Fear God

Fear God indicates a still higher obligation. Christians are not only to honour and love God (1:3, 8; 2:5, 9); they are also to fear him

declares, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” We need a proper reverence for God. He is a Holy God. Until we understand who God is and develop a reverential fear of Him, we cannot have true wisdom. True wisdom comes only from understanding who God is and that He is holy, just, and righteous. , records, “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.” The fear of God is the basis for our walking in His ways, serving Him, and, yes, loving Him.

Some redefine the fear of God for believers to “respecting” Him. While respect is definitely included in the concept of fearing God, there is more to it than that. A biblical fear of God, for the believer, includes understanding how much God hates sin and fearing His judgment on sin—even in the life of a believer. describes God’s discipline of the believer. While it is done in love (), it is still a fearful thing. As children, the fear of discipline from our parents no doubt prevented some evil actions. The same should be true in our relationship with God. We should fear His discipline, and therefore seek to live our lives in such a way that pleases Him.

Believers are not to be scared of God. We have no reason to be scared of Him. We have His promise that nothing can separate us from His love (). We have His promise that He will never leave us or forsake us (). Fearing God means having such a reverence for Him that it has a great impact on the way we live our lives. The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshipping Him in awe.

Honor the emperor

We are to honor him because God commands us to, not because we deem him worthy of honor. Peter told his readers to honor the emperor, who was Nero, a wicked murderer. But what exactly does it mean to “honor” our President? Here are a few thoughts:

First, to honor the President means we recognize that God allowed him to be there.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

No matter how much we disagree with or disapprove of our president, we must realize that God has placed him there to accomplish his own sovereign purpose, as God did with Pharoah with Moses.

For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

Since God has placed our president in office, we should speak of him respectfully, not in a dishonoring, mocking way. We should also pray for him and bless him. God commands believers to pray for our leaders and all who are in authority (). We should bless our president. Hey, if Jesus commands us to bless those who curse us () (and I’m not saying our President curses us), then we can certainly bless our president.