I love the irony found in 1 Peter 2:16: “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”
The word Peter chose to use for “servants” in this passage is doulos in the Greek. It means “slave.” What Peter wrote is, “Live as free men…live as slaves of God.”
We have been set free. But set free for what? To use our freedom as a cover-up for evil? Heaven forbid, as Paul might say. No, we have been set free so that we can willingly and enthusiastically take this free life and place it under the authority and LORD-ship of Christ Jesus.
Our salvation is more than mere words spoken one day at an altar. Our salvation is more than simply repeating “The Sinner’s Prayer.” Our salvation decision is merely that, a decision. (and I’ve made a lot of decisions that I never carried through on when I found the path was too difficult or the cost too great.)
Our salvation decision is a good first step, but it must be followed by a true conversion, which encompasses producing fruit from our repentance and a willing and complete surrender of our will, our life, to the LORD-ship of our Savior. To stop short of that is to live in a very dangerous place. We may think it is enough to just get by, but when it comes to being saved, I sure don’t want to “just get by.”
I want to freely give all to the One who loved me and died for me. I want the world to know I love Christ Jesus and am willing to lay it all down for Him.
