What Does it Mean to be Free?

 

What does it mean to be free?  Do summer holidays set you free?  Or is it something else?  What did Jesus say about freedom?

Two weeks ago, Flo Kim told us about the church in Corinth and Paul’s encouraging letter to them during a time of conflict.  Flo compared their new life in Jesus to a butterfly, emerging from its chrysalis.  

This week, we will continue reading the same letter.  2 Corinthians 6 opens like this:

6 1-2 Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. God reminds us,

I heard your call in the nick of time;
The day you needed me, I was there to help.

Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped.

It sounds to me like Paul is speaking with some urgency - now is the right time.

He includes a quote from Isaiah 49:8, reminding the church, and us today, that God hears our call and helps us, in the nick of time.  Although Paul only included two lines in his letter, I found it helpful to read the Isaiah passage in full:

Isaiah 49:8-10

God also says:

“When the time’s ripe, I answer you.
    When victory’s due, I help you.
I form you and use you
    to reconnect the people with me,
To put the land in order,
    to resettle families on the ruined properties.
I tell prisoners, ‘Come on out. You’re free!’
    and those huddled in fear, ‘It’s all right. It’s safe now.’

What words jump out for you?

Later in Chapter 6, Paul pleads with his church:

 11-13 Dear, dear Corinthians, I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

Openly and expansively - that sounds like freedom!  I wonder how we do this?  

I invite you to read John 8 on your own if you feel a yearning to hear (again?) what Jesus said about freedom.  

I'm looking forward to hearing Flo share more from 2 Corinthians. I hope you can join us on Sunday. 

I hope you'll stay for Circle Conversation this week.  Do you have a question you’d like us all to answer?  If so, please let me know by replying to this email or by messaging me on WhatsApp.

Photo by Fuu J on Unsplash