When you and I became a child of God, He canceled the debt we owed because of sin. Christ paid the price for us by His death on the cross. That is the basics of the gospel. This is truly good news.

• I sin because I am human. Rom 3:23
• The debt I owe is death. Rom 6:23
• But the gift of God is in Christ. Rom 6:23
• The gospel is God’s power to save us from His wrath – Rom 1:16
• The gospel is the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ – 1Co 15:1-5

You and I do nothing to deserve God’s offer of forgiveness. Our obedience to the gospel (death, burial, and resurrection) in no way places God in debt to us. (Rom 6:3-6). This a covenant of GRACE (Rom 5:6-10, 20-21).

But when God erases our ledger of our debt, does that give us carte blanche to live how we choose? Does freedom in Christ mean free to be me?

Consider the follow words from scripture.

• For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13)
• Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. (1 Peter 2:16)
• What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2)
• And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24)

Peter and Paul say, “No!” Our freedom is not so we can continue in sin. Our clean page is not so we can write what we want back on it. We died to self, crucified the flesh and are to live according to the Spirit of God.

Grace is not a carte blanche for sin, but a time to start over, to be clean, and to fill that page with godliness.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14)

If the Son has set you free, live for Him.

-Scott