I believe way too many Believers in the Church do NOT understand WHAT it means to have Christian freedoms or Christian liberty. On one hand there are many in the Church who incorrectly believe that having Christian freedom or Christian liberties means that they can pretty much do whatever they want to. While on the other hand there are many in the Church who believe that being 'free in Christ' means being 'free' from those things the Lord NEVER told them NOT to do.....LIKE: NOT drinking alcohol or NOT gambling or NOT smoking. Brethren, you are NOT 'free in Christ' IF you allow yourself to be 'chained' to rules and regulations that the Lord NEVER gave you. The Lord HAS determined in His Word those things HE DEEMS SINFUL (i.e. those things we need to abstain from)! And for Believers to ADD TO or TAKE AWAY from what the Lord has already written IS NOT making one's self 'free' but 'chained' to their fleshly emotions! Christians, you need to get it into your spiritual brain that IF you choose to abstain from 'stuff' (that the Lord NEVER commanded you to abstain from) that is between you and God.....but please, please, please do not 'push' your unbiblical abstinence things on others as though they were 'from the Lord'! I am 'free' in Christ to do those things which God has NOT labeled as sinful. But even then, I am to use those Christian freedoms to glorify the Lord....which should remind us that a fruit of the Spirit IS self-control (i.e. moderation in all things.) Brethren, I encourage you to remove those unbiblical burdens and restrictions that you have 'chained' yourself to....and have tried to 'chain' others to, and instead be truly 'free in Christ' by knowing the Truths of God's Word.
John 8:31-32 ----- So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
