Reading: That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness. Luke 1:74–75

Christian liberty is a much used though often misused term. There is an ever growing perception that Christian liberty means freedom to do as we please.

The argument is that since a believer is under grace he is no longer under law. But deliverance from sin is not deliverance unto reckless freedom. It does not give the believer the “right” or “authority” to throw caution to the wind and discard the law of God. Christian liberty is the freedom that comes through the gospel to live for Christ in holiness and humility. Zacharias understood this connection. His words in Luke 1 give rise to the common phrase “saved to serve.” Our liberty in Christ enables us to serve without fear. Service for Christ is not a slavish exercise. We are not driven to serve in order to be justified; rather we serve because we have been freely justified by grace. There is a reverence for God, a godly fear, but not a paralysing fear or dread of God.

Furthermore, our liberty in Christ enables us to serve in holiness and righteousness. These terms encompass the whole law of God. We serve in holiness before God and in righteousness before men. Moreover, our liberty in Christ enables us to serve all the days of our life. True Christianity is not a temporary or fleeting experience. It lasts through time into eternity, and our service, which commences here, will continue when we see Christ face to face. True Christian liberty is freedom to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This is the portion of every believer in Christ. He has died to set us free and we know that those whom the Son sets free are free indeed. Let us live our lives in the freedom of the gospel of Christ as those who know Him, love Him, obey Him, and serve Him with our whole heart.

“Your salvation is God’s business; His service is your business.” Thomas Fuller

Taken from A Word in Season edited by Alan Cairns, 2010. Used by permission.