For those of you Christian singles who are from the United States of America, Belarus, Burundi, Canada, Rwanda, and Somalia, Happy Independence Day this first weekend of July!
I know that many other countries celebrate a similar national holiday; in Mexico, it is September 16, and in Australia, it is January 26. Norway celebrates its independence day on May 17, Cambodia on November 9, Turkey October 29, Trinidad and Tobago August 31, Greece March 25, and, most recently, South Sudan, as of July 9, 2011.
Most of these countries have been able to maintain some sense of their hard-fought freedom and autonomy and pursue its own best interests. Some, like South Sudan, are still battling to get completely free from the group it seceded from. Often the group that was left does not want to accept the split. They desperately want to retain their access to resources as well as human capital, and they will do everything they can to sabotage it. (Divorce sometimes feels like that, doesn’t it?)
This happens at a corporate level. This also occurs at the personal, individual level.
As Jesus’ followers and disciples who happen to be single, we understand and love that Jesus died for our sins and set us free. Some of us came from some pretty heinous backgrounds to get to where we are right now. You’ll find your story in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Other Bible verses like John 8:34-36, 2 Corinthians 3:17, and Galatians 5:1 assure us that we have a firm foundation for our freedom, and we revel in it. Today’s question is, “What are you doing with all that freedom?”
What do you mean, ‘All that freedom’? you may ask.
It’s somewhat like asking, “What are you doing with all the time you’re saving from buying all those time-saving devices?”
The Word of God teaches that we were freed from a lifetime and eternity of sin to serve a living God and each other.
1 Corinthians 6:12: All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
According to 1 Corinthians 6:12, we are free to do whatever we want, as long as it is not sin. Christian Single, what does your wanter want?
We can do whatever we want, but certain things—and certain people—are definitely not helpful to our lifestyles as Christians. Christian Single, what “certain things and certain people” are not helpful, perhaps they are even detrimental to, our spiritual existence that we ought to rid ourselves of?
Romans 6:22: But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.
Romans 6:22 tells us that God saved us Christian singles all the way from our past as 
sinners into a new future. As He sanctifies us—sets us apart for eternal purposes and transforms us into the character of His Son Jesus—we realize that we are no longer slaves to our own base nature and the devil’s future in hell, but God’s loving character and an eternity in heavenly places.
1 Peter 2:16: Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
1 Peter 2:16 warns us against using our freedom as a cloak, or a disguise, for evil. As Christian singles, it’s easy to do. You ask someone out because they look hot and they’re new, and in the back of your mind, you wonder how they would be as a sex partner. You now have some extra time on your hands at the same time every week and you think of how you would like to spend your time shopping, eating out, watching TV or on your computer surfing the web for bad things. You’re a single parent and you find yourself, as the non-custodial parent, thinking of ways to avoid paying child support. Or, as the custodial parent, neglecting your child in front of a DVD for hours at a time while you shop, peruse social media, talk on the phone, or date. As slaves of God, we are called to a higher standard, a Christlike standard, a loving and pure standard. We’re not called to lower ourselves to the devil’s standards and pre-empt an amazing destiny in Christ.
Galatians 5:13-14: For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:13-14 urges us to use the freedom we’ve been granted to serve one another out of a godly, sacrificial love, rather than abuse our freedom for malicious, ignoble, or selfish purposes.
Philippians 2:3-4: Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
The Bible does not teach that we cannot ever look out for our own interests, just like the Bible does not teach that money is the root of all evil. The Bible teaches that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). And Philippians 2:3-4 tells us that we need to, in addition to our interests, look out also for the interests of others. We have been freed from ourselves and an eternity in hell to honor, love, and serve one another.
As we pass through another weekend celebrating our nation’s freedom, take a minute to recall what you were personally delivered from by your Savior, Jesus.
Reflect on what He has delivered you for.
Re-read the scriptures in today’s blog.
Ask God what 
you could be doing to use your freedom to love and serve Him and to love and serve other believers.
Then you can celebrate your personal Independence Day all year long!
Happy Independence Day again, my friend.
REFERENCES
All scripture today was from the NASB.
List of national independence days from Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_independence_days accessed 7/3/16
