Can I?

"We must face the fact that many today are notoriously careless in their living.  This attitude finds it's way into the church.  We have liberty, we have money, we live in comparative luxury.  As a result, discipline practically has disappeared.  What would a violin solo sound like if the strings on the musician's instrument were all hanging loose, not stretched tight, not 'disciplined'?

    A.W. Tozer

"False notions of liberty are strangely common.  People talk of it as if it meant the liberty of doing whatever one likes-whereas the only liberty that a man, worth of the name of man, ought to ask for, is, to have all restrictions, inward and outward, removed that prevent his doing what he ought."

    Frederick W. Robertson

"Liberty may be an instrument for giving glory to the Most High, or it may be a curtain used to shield base indulgence of the flesh (1 Peter 2:16).  You may discover by self-examination of your heart which function liberty serves in your life."

    Walter J. Chantry

"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."  The Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 11:1

There has been a lot of talk lately about what a Christian can do and can't do.  What I would like to know is, why does a Christian want to walk so close to the line between Sanctification and Christian Liberty?  Why does a Christian want to walk so close to the world instead of Christ?

We can learn a lot from the Apostle Paul.  He knew all about Christian Liberty, but he chose to walk so close to Christ, that there would be no mistaking who he was.  Who he identified with; a Christian, seeking to serve Christ and bring Glory to God.  And, not only did he walk so close to Christ himself, but he invited those around him to follow after his example, because he was walking after Christ's example.

What a testimony!

Can I say that about my Christian walk?

As a child of God, we are given much liberty in Christ.  But instead of constantly asking the question, "Can I?" maybe we should be asking the question, "Should I?"

Before stepping out in our Christian Liberty, we should ask ourselves:

1-What is my motive or reason behind wanting to do this particular thing?  Is there a touch of pride or rebellion behind this?

2-Will it cause my brother or sister in Christ to stumble in their Christian walk?

3-Will it confuse my unsaved neighbor?

4-Will it glorify God?

As God in the flesh, Jesus could have done anything He wanted to do.  He had perfect, sinless liberty, and yet, He always went about His Father's business, and always chose to do the Will of His Heavenly Father.

Instead of playing my 'Liberty Card,' I will choose rather, to imitate my Father.

After all, I want to be more like Him!

    But that's just me!

"Wherefore, though the Christian, as a Christian, is the only man at liberty, as called thereunto of God; yet his liberty is limited to things that are good:  he is not licensed thereby to indulge the flesh."

    John Bunyan

"Nothing harms or destroys us but the wrong use of that liberty of choice which God has entrusted to us."

    William Law