If you’ll indulge me in a pop culture reference, a line from the movie Footloose has been dancing around in my mind. The Rev. Shaw Moore stands before his congregation and admits that he is having second thoughts about how forcibly he has tried to protect the town’s teens from themselves. He asks, “If we don’t start trusting our children … how will they ever become trustworthy?”

It’s the parental question of the ages. We want our kids to grow up and become law-abiding, contributing members of society, yet it’s difficult to let go and take the risk that they might fall flat on their faces.

Galatians 5:13 (The Message) tells us: “It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom …” Like a parent reminding a teen to obey curfew and stay out of trouble, God the Father allows us freedom but still has expectations of us. Instead of taking advantage of the loosened apron strings and abusing the trust given to us, the verse goes on to instruct us: “… Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows.”

That’s how freedom grows! It’s not just a matter of earning a later curfew; it’s about building trust. I encourage you to read Romans 6:16-18; it is an excellent passage about freedom in Christ and the oppression of sin. Jesus’ sacrifice broke the chains of bondage; why would we want to lock the chains back in place ourselves? Freedom is not an all-you-can-indulge, raucous free-for-all.

Freedom in Christ is life.