In going through the note, I found an interesting statement under section Believers' Conduct - We Do & We Do Not para 1.6
live as freed from sin and free to serve God v16The original verse is 1 Pet 2:16 As free, and not using [your] liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
We have been over stressing the "freedom from sins" part and under-stressing the "Freedom to glorify God" part. We spent too much time seeing freedom from restrictions rather than freedom for worthwhile goals and things.
In the Chinese Classics, the teaching have been very positive oriented. It covers much much more on what the 'saints' or 'sages' should do and very little on what the "little man" or "inferior man" does. There is a constant call to excel in character development, to follow the Way of Heaven, and to live in Harmony with God, Earth and Man. See for example Understanding Chinese in One Minute.
The Bible actually has more to say on what we must do vs what we must not do as new believers in Christ. Just take this chapter 1Peter 2 as an example. There are 25 verses. I can count v1, 8, 11 and may be 25 as mentioning sins. 4 out of 25!
Or if you take my study note, the "we are" and "we do" have 19 points versus the "we do not" of 6 points (5 points comes from breaking up verse 1).
Freedom from sins, from restrictions has no forward movement unless that is a good cause for the freedom FOR. For gives us the motivational push. FROM is just a release of loads. See Christian Transformation & Growth.
Hence, let us concentrate on telling fellow believers about who they are in Christ and the good behavior that they should exhibit. We have already been 'freed from' sins and hence let us move on to 'freedom for' and in the the fellowship of the Light and Love.
Related post on Freedom:
- Freedom - it is without limits?
- Freedom, Truth, Power - Getting the Order Right.
- Freedom and Its Myth of More Freedom is Better
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