Live as Free People: The Connection of Virtue and Freedom

You and I have certain rights simply because we are human.

From a Christian perspective, we believe these rights are not granted by governments but given by God. They are woven into our very existence, declaring that all people share equal worth before their Creator.

Of course, we’re not equal in every way. We differ in talent, intelligence, beauty, strength, wealth, and opportunity. But we are equal in dignity—and in our shared right to life, responsibility, and moral agency. This equality should be reflected in how people are treated under the law. No matter who you are, equal protection should be extended to all.

We are free people. Yet freedom doesn’t mean doing whatever we want. To protect and preserve the liberty God has given us, we must live in a certain way.

Samuel Adams once said:

“He therefore is the truest friend to the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue… The sum of all is, if we would most truly enjoy this gift of Heaven, let us become a virtuous people.”

Adams understood something we often forget: freedom and virtue are inseparable.

N.T. Wright, in the book After You Believe, describes virtue as the steady formation of character through the Spirit’s work—developing habits of goodness so that doing what is right becomes second nature. Freedom can only endure when it is shaped by this kind of moral character. Laws and systems may preserve order, but only virtue keeps liberty alive.

Too often, conversations about freedom focus only on what we are allowed to do.

We ask, “Is this legal?” or declare, “It’s my life—I can do what I want!”

But freedom is not simply the ability to make choices; it’s the responsibility to make the right ones. The enjoyment of freedom is not the same as its preservation.

In fact, the number one reason people lose their liberty—personally and collectively—is because of poor choices. Yes, freedom gives us the right to choose, but not all choices lead to life.

Take addiction, for example.

A person is free to use drugs or abuse alcohol. God has given them free will. But addiction quickly becomes a self-made prison, robbing people of the very freedom they wanted to exercise.

The apostle Peter wrote:

“Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.”

—1 Peter 2:16 (CSB)

That sounds strange, doesn’t it? How can freedom be found in being a slave to God?

Yet this is the paradox of the gospel: True freedom is not found in self-rule but in surrender to God’s good and loving authority. When we live as servants of God, we live according to His design—and that is where genuine freedom flourishes.

Even if a government strips away our civil liberties, no one can take away the freedom we have in Christ. Our freedom doesn’t come from the Constitution or the Bill of Rights—it comes from God.

This is why followers of Jesus can remain free even under oppression. True freedom, the freedom described in Scripture, is not the absence of external constraint; it’s the presence of internal obedience.

As Paul wrote,

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”

—Ephesians 2:10 (CSB)

God, in His wisdom and mercy, has placed the direction of our lives in our hands. The choices we make determine whether we live enslaved to sin or free in King Jesus.

So choose well.
Choose virtue.
Choose obedience.
Choose Jesus.

Because when we live as God intended, we discover what freedom truly means.





Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Living in Light, Love, and Truth: Love One Another

Text: 1 John 3:11-24

You may remember the friendly tune from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood: “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…” Fred Rogers built his entire show on one simple idea—that being kind to the people around you makes life better. And interestingly, recent research has confirmed what Mister Rogers taught decades ago.

According to a Gallup poll on health and well-being, people who say hello to their neighbors report significantly higher levels of happiness and satisfaction. The study measured five dimensions—career, community, physical, financial, and social well-being—and found that greeting just a few neighbors each day increases a person’s sense of overall well-being. In fact, the benefit keeps rising until you’ve greeted about six neighbors a day! After that, there’s no measurable improvement—but still, six neighbors is a lot of joy.

The study even noted that greeting neighbors was linked to better physical energy, greater satisfaction in one’s work, and wiser financial habits. All of that—from simply taking time to acknowledge the people who live nearby.

It’s a reminder that we are made for connection. Even something as small as saying hello can lift our spirits and strengthen our communities. If that’s true for casual relationships with our neighbors, how much more true is it within the family of God? But love, like saying hello, only makes a difference when it’s expressed.

The Message from the Beginning

John takes us back to the very beginning with a sobering reminder. The command to love isn’t new—it’s been God’s message from the start. And to illustrate what happens when we ignore it, John points to Cain, who allowed jealousy and hatred to consume him. Despite God’s warning to tame the evil in his heart, Cain took his brother’s life.

Hatred, jealousy, and contempt don’t just hurt our hearts—they lead us to take life from others. Maybe not physically, but through our words, our coldness, our withholding of grace. We damage reputations, steal joy, and rob people of the life God intends for them.

This is why John says we shouldn’t be surprised when the world hates us. When we do what is right, when we walk in God’s blessing and love, it stirs up jealousy and resentment in those still walking in darkness.

The challenge for us: When we have negative feelings about another person, it’s an indication that we need to confess them and surrender them to God. If we don’t, there’s a very real chance they will overtake us and lead us to rob them of life. Don’t let negative feelings about people grow unchecked.

The Contrast: Death or Life

John provides us with a powerful contrast—Cain takes life, Jesus gives life. The way we know that we no longer belong to death is because we love. Love for God and love for people is an indication that we have eternal life. Pay attention to your capacity to love.

The opposite is also true. To harbor hatred in our hearts, to live with jealousy and resentment as a way of life, indicates that we aren’t really living—we are still dead in our sin. John is clear: a person who hates, especially their Christian brother or sister, is a murderer. They are willing to take the life of another person, even if only through their attitude and actions.

But a person who loves gives life—even at the expense of themselves. Jesus gave His life for us so we may have life. John gives us a very important detail about the love we are to have: it is a love that sacrifices, that gives up something valuable to us to benefit the life of someone else.

The application: Give to God those hard feelings you have about another person—the grudge you are holding on to, the hurt someone caused you. If we don’t confess it and let it go, it has the potential to keep us from experiencing eternal life.

Love Is More Than Words

John addresses his readers as “dear children,” showing his fatherly concern for them. He wants them to understand that Christian love is more than declaring love for people. I think this is something very important for us to think about. It’s easy for us to gather together and talk about loving people—but then do nothing about it.

Yes, it’s good that you love your family—but as Jesus said, even the pagans do that. So we are called to love by our actions, by giving people what brings life. That’s what verse 17 is about—if we have enough to nurture our physical life, then we should provide what nurtures life to others.

The Bible doesn’t say meeting a person’s spiritual needs is more important than meeting their physical needs. What John says here is that we are to sacrifice to provide for their physical life—and through our actions they experience life.

A practical starting point: Add a person you have a difficult time with—even an enemy—to your prayer list. Ask God not to change them, but to bless them. Hopefully, you will start seeing them in a different light.

A Confidence That Comes Through Love

How do we know if we are saved or not? John’s answer to that question is how we love people. Our love shows whether or not we have eternal life. Even if our hearts and feelings say we aren’t doing enough, we trust in God’s promise, in His love. Remember that God isn’t looking to condemn us but to save us. He will give us what we need when we ask—the Holy Spirit.

As His children, what does God expect from us? To believe in Jesus Christ, giving our allegiance to the King, and to love. These two things reveal that the Spirit is living in us and that we have fellowship with God.

The invitation: Surrender your life to the guiding and transforming work of the Spirit. This is the way we will be able to grow in our capacity to love people and to love God.

Bringing Life to a World That Is Perishing

John reminds us that the foundational message, the command God has for His people, is love. It’s what was there from the very beginning. Love offers a contrast between the world, those who follow the way of Cain, and the Church, those who follow the way of Jesus. And love is defined as sacrifice.

For us to love the world requires actions. We can’t just meet together and talk about loving people—we need to really love by what we do. This type of love proves that we have life, that God’s love is working in us. And how does that love work in us? By pledging our allegiance to King Jesus and living as His representative. That is when we experience the Holy Spirit at work in our lives.

Those who have fellowship with God bring life into the world by loving God and loving people. Love is defined as sacrifice—where we give up something valuable so another person may experience life: love, acceptance, help, provision. The Kingdom grows as people experience God’s love through the actions of His people. In other words, we demonstrate God’s character in this world.

Your Challenge This Week

As followers of Jesus, we are called to bring life into a world that is perishing. That happens when we love—not in word alone, but in deed and in truth.

So here’s the challenge: This week, find one tangible way to bring life to someone else.

It might mean offering forgiveness instead of holding a grudge. It might mean encouraging someone who feels unseen. It might mean giving to meet a need you could easily ignore.

Ask God to show you one person you can love in a sacrificial way—one act of love that costs you something but brings life to someone else. Because every time we choose love over indifference, we reflect the heart of Jesus and reveal that we truly belong to Him.

The Evidence of Who We Are

John reminds us that love is not optional for God’s children—it is the evidence of who we are. When we love one another, we show the world what our Father is like.

The world will know we belong to Jesus not by our words, not by our knowledge, not by our activity—but by our love. Let’s walk in that love this week, and bring life wherever God places us.

Thank God for the sacrifice of Jesus that gives us eternal life. Ask for strength to love others well. Pray for confidence that we have eternal life.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

What Has King Jesus Called Us to Do?

What does it mean to live as a follower of King Jesus? 

This is a question that Christians have wrestled with for two thousand years. 

In a world that measures value by productivity and achievement, it’s easy to believe that following Jesus is about how much we do for Him—how many prayers we pray, how many chapters in the Bible we read, how authentic our worship is, or how often we share the gospel.

But if we’re honest, that mindset leaves many of us weighed down with guilt. We hear a voice whispering to us, “You’re not doing enough.”  — Not praying enough. Not reading the Bible enough. Not evangelizing enough. Not loving well enough.

That voice is not the voice of King Jesus. It’s the voice of the enemy—the accuser—who delights in distorting our relationship with God into one of shame and fear.

Faithfulness, Not Frenzy

So what has King Jesus actually called us to do?

He has called us to be faithful. To represent Him in all that we say and do. What this means is that how we live each moment and how we treat others matters. 

Faithfulness looks less like a frantic checklist of spiritual tasks and more like a surrendered life. It’s not about hitting some invisible quota of good works, rather it is about giving our heart, mind, and will to the guiding and transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

When we surrender, the Spirit begins to form in us the very character of Jesus—love, goodness, kindness, self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). These qualities are not manufactured by trying harder; they grow as fruit from a life rooted in Jesus and flowing with the Spirit.

Living in Step with the Spirit

In other words, we don’t have to live with a constant sense of “not enough.” Instead, we walk with the Spirit day by day. We keep in step with Him. We let His presence shape how we respond to the people and situations around us.

How do we do this? How is it possible to be guided by the Spirit?

Part of my daily pray is “I surrender my heart, mind, and will to the guiding and transforming work of the Holy Spirit.” For me I need to do this every day, out loud, other wise I will continue to seek transformation by my own strength and understanding.

It also requires reading and studying the Bible, with people and on our own, which allows the Holy Spirit to use the words on the page change our hearts and minds.

We also need to understand that service is a discipline and that when we serve in ministry the Holy Spirit equips us to do the work that is in front of us.

Here is the beautiful truth: when opportunities arise, the Spirit will empower us to accomplish them. We don’t have to create our own significance. We don’t have to compare our efforts to someone else’s. We simply make the most of the moments God places before us—whether that’s encouraging a friend, showing patience with our kids, serving our neighbors, or speaking the name of Jesus when the opportunity comes our way.

Representing King Jesus

The New Testament reminds us again and again that we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). An ambassador doesn’t act on their own authority. Their role is to faithfully represent the one who sent them.

That’s our calling. Represent King Jesus in everything we say and do.

And here’s the encouragement: you don’t represent Him by doing more and more. You represent Him by surrendering to His authority and will—so that His love, His patience, His mercy, His truth are reflected through your life.

When the world sees that, they see glimpses of the King we serve.

A Gentle Challenge

So let me leave you with this challenge: Stop trying to prove yourself by doing enough. Instead, surrender your life to the Spirit’s transforming work. Let Him lead you in faithfulness today.

Ask yourself:

• Am I giving my heart to King Jesus? 
• Am I renewing my mind in His truth? 
• Am I surrendering my will to His Spirit?

When you do that, you will find yourself representing King Jesus in ways big and small. Not out of guilt. Not out of fear. But out of love.

 Following King Jesus isn’t about doing enough—it’s about surrendering enough. When we give Him our heart, mind, and will, the Spirit shapes us to represent Him in everything we say and do.

That’s what He has called us to do.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

A Message to Proclaim: Living the Message

Text: 1 Peter 3:13–17

The core mission of the church—what God has called us to do—is to make disciples. And that disciple-making process begins with evangelism: proclaiming the Gospel.

But before we go further, let’s clarify what the Gospel is and isn’t. The Gospel is not simply, “You can be saved because Jesus died for you.”That way of saying it puts the focus on you. The Gospel is bigger than that. The Gospel is the Good News that God’s Kingdom has broken into the world through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

That Kingdom announcement carries huge implications:

• The brokenness of the world will be healed.
• Justice will be done.
• We are rescued from the consequences of sin. 
• Creation itself will be restored to God’s original design, with humans as His partners in stewarding it.

This is an incredible message. But let’s be honest—why would anyone believe it? Why should anyone accept that the death and resurrection of a man 2,000 years ago means tyrants will be overthrown, the oppressed set free, and eternal life offered to the world?

The answer is simple: they will believe it if they see it at work in our lives.

Erwin McManus once wrote:

“For too long we have hidden behind the rightness of propositional truth and have ignored the question of whether or not it works. Does the faith you advocate get you to God? If people are observing your Christianity and reserving allegiance to see what team actually wins, is there enough evidence in your life to cause a person to see Jesus as sufficient?” (An Unstoppable Force, p. 58)

That’s the heart of our challenge. Words matter, but our lives either verify or contradict the message we proclaim. If people don’t see us living as if Jesus is truly Lord, then why should they trust that our message is true?

The Call of 1 Peter 3:13–17

Peter wrote his first letter to believers in Asia Minor who were facing ridicule and persecution. They were “exiles” and “strangers” in the world, often suffering for their faith. Yet Peter encouraged them to stand firm—not by fighting back, but by living faithfully.

Here’s what he wrote:

“Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be intimidated, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” (1 Peter 3:13–17, CSB)

This passage highlights two key choices we must make if our lives are going to declare the Gospel.

1. Choose to Worship Jesus as Lord (vv. 13–15a)

Peter draws on Isaiah 8, where the prophet is told not to fear what the people fear, but to trust in God alone. Likewise, we are called to revere Christ as Lord—not just in song, but in the daily obedience of our lives.

Worship here is not limited to Sunday gatherings. It’s about setting apart Christ as the guiding authority of our lives. It means asking hard questions:

• Am I really trusting Jesus to lead me? 
• How does His lordship shape the way I spend my time, my money, my relationships? 
• Is He truly King—or just a good idea I admire when it’s convenient?

When we choose to worship Jesus as Lord, our lives begin to reflect the Kingdom we proclaim.

2. Choose to Live a Righteous Life (vv. 15b–17)

Peter also reminds believers to be ready to give a defense for their hope—but to do so with gentleness and respect. This defense is not only about having the right words. It’s about living in such a way that accusations fall flat.

In other words, our righteousness is itself a testimony. When critics slander Christians, it is our consistent goodness, humility, and compassion that prove the truth of the Gospel. Even if people don’t agree with us, they shouldn’t be able to deny the difference Christ makes in our lives.

This raises two questions for us today: 

• Could you explain the hope you have in Christ if someone asked?
• Does your life show that hope in a way that makes others curious?

Our world is full of accusations against the church, some deserved and some not. The best response isn’t defensiveness—it’s to live so faithfully that our actions speak louder than words.

Living Evidence of the Gospel

Think back to McManus’s question: Is there enough evidence in your life to cause a person to see Jesus as sufficient?

That’s what evangelism demands of us—not only words, but lives that align with the truth we proclaim. People are not won over simply by propositions. They are drawn by the visible transformation of people who walk with Jesus.

That means every Christian carries a responsibility: to live in a way that honors Christ. When the truth of Scripture is combined with the testimony of our lives, people begin to see what it looks like to follow Jesus—and why He is worth following.

A Prayer to Live the Message

Here’s a prayer from Colossians 1:9–10 (NLT) that captures the heart of this call:

“We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.”

Our actions provide evidence for the truth of the Gospel. The question is: What story is your life telling?

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.

Only Jesus Can Restore Us

J. Heinrich Arnold wrote; "Jesus alone can heal us and give us a new heart.  He came to restore us through his blood, and every heart, however tormented, can find comfort and healing in him" (Freedom from Sinful Thoughts).

Part of the human condition is to look for life apart from God.  At one time or another everyone resembles the church family at Laodicea.  These Christians believed that because of their wealth, their continued prosperity, and their industry that they needed nothing.  They clung to the belief that their hard work, their great economy, and their wonderful city provided for them everything they needed.

The problem was God saw things differently.  They saw themselves as fashionable and wealthy, but God knew they were poor, pitiful, and pathetic (Rev. 3:17).  Their source of life and healing was nothing but a broken cistern, unable to give them what they truly needed.

The counsel Jesus gave to this church was to turn to him and he would give them real wealth, real healing, and real fashion.  These Christian would rather make do with the things of this world than to experience the real life Christ delivered them to live.

So many of us continue to insist on finding hope, healing, and life on our own.  The question I remember Erwin McManus asking in a sermon years ago is relevant to this discussion: "Why do we continue to search for life in dead places?" 

We search for life in good things like relationships, jobs, and traditions.  We search for life in evil things like drugs, pornography, and immorality.  Everything from education to politics to entertainment can be turned into a source of life, healing, and hope.  As we do this we continue to discover that they do not satisfy.

Sooner of later we need to come to the realization that the apostle Paul came to:

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!  —(Philippians 3:7-11; NLT).

This brings us back to the quote from the start: Jesus alone brings healing.  The condition attached to the healing Jesus offers is that we need to set aside what we are clinging to now and come empty handed to him.  It is not easy to break free from the things we have clung onto for so long for identity, life, hope, and healing, but it must be done.  That is what repentance is all about. 

The great news is that healing and true life is available to everyone.  It does matter who you are and what you have done, Jesus offers you healing and life.  Come as you are to Jesus, and he will give you the healing your heart desperately needs.

Paul’s Ponderings is a blog dedicated to reflecting on Scripture and encouraging believers to live out their faith with love and purpose.