It seems like there are two ways most of us - myself included - apply the Christian life.
Option A: don't sin and then someday you'll die and get a crown.
Option B: believe in Jesus, but still find security in success, money, government, and/or reputation.
The problem with one of those options is that if dying is the goal then living seems.... superfluous. The problem with the second is that Jesus then becomes a club and a set of morals that is really secondary in the scheme of things. In both options the real goal is to not go to hell.
Unfortunately for us, success is subjective and temporary, and hell in the future is not a terrible threat to those desperate for hope in the present. In other words, if you're not a believer in Jesus then neither of those options offer real hope. One is the same as the life you've got now and the other is... just ... sad.
Fortunately for us Paul, in Galatians 5:1, gives a compelling reason for following Jesus. He says this: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."
Freedom, in the truest sense, is not the ability to do whatever we want. Freedom is the ability to become who we are created to be. Paul's terminology implies that freedom is some sort of separate entity that can be experienced and enjoyed. God has freed you from sin for freedom's sake. Because freedom is what you were created for.
Not freedom in the sense of being able to do anything without repercussion, but freedom in the sense of being able to become your true self. Understanding this mission of Jesus enlivens the application of his teachings. For instance:
He did not teach against materialism because he doesn't want you to have things. He taught against it because he doesn't want your joy to be based on what you have or don't have. He wants you free.
He teaches forgiveness because forgiveness is a life free of bitterness.
He teaches peacemaking because it is freedom from conflict.
He teaches justice because it is freedom for all.
He teaches to care for the poor because freedom is definitely for those who do not have it, and it is even for those who might not deserve it.
It's tempting to think that freedom is life with no rules. The early followers of Jesus in the city of Corinth faced the same temptation. In 1 Corinthians 10:23 Paul told them "'I have the right to do anything,' you say--but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'--but not everything is constructive." Another way to say it would be "just because you can do it does not mean it's not stupid." When Jesus offers freedom he is basically saying "I designed life. I know how it works best. If you want to make the most of it you'll want to do these things."
Jesus offers a genuinely better life. Not just an eternal life, a better life. Shane Claiborne says that some people are "so heavenly minded they are no earthly good." The life that Christ has for you is not easy - you were not created for ease - but it is certainly better. He offers a better marriage, better finances, better jobs, better adventures, better purpose. He offers those things by redefining them all together. He says that good finances aren't defined in abundance but in generosity. He says that a good marriage isn't in always getting along; it's in sacrificial love. Adventure isn't an escape; it's an experience you were made to have. Purpose isn't what happens when you retire or die; it's what you live for every day.
The Christian life stands out as a life of freedom in a world that is enslaved to appeasement. It stands out as a life of joy in a world that is constantly searching for it. It stands out as a life of contentedness in a world that is always one big break away from happiness. The Christian life stands out. It doesn't stand against and it doesn't stand in for anything. It stands out.
That's freedom. That's why Christ has set you free.
