One of the basics of life in Christ is the freedom He came to bring us. No longer enslaved to sin we are free to live for and in all that is good and right.
Christ-like leadership helps people live in that fullness of life in Christ. We must take great care to function in ways that align with His intent as we provide organization to our churches or ministries.
Understanding the Freedom Jesus Brings
Jesus’ mission involved setting people free:
One day while in the temple Jesus read from the book of Isaiah, prophecies about Himself — “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Lk. 4:18-19)
Jesus’ means of freeing people involved proclamation of truth as seen the verses above and below:
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (Jn. 8:32)
Jesus’ motivation goes beyond merely freeing, or saving, us from the penalty of sin, to enabling us to live in that freedom.
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (Jn. 8:34)
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Gal. 5:1)
Governed by Such Freedom, Organization Must be Enhancing Ministry, Not Entangling It
Certainly God intends for our churches and ministries to function within the freedom He came to give us. Legalism isn’t our only enslaving practice. We must take great care not to let well-meaning efforts to provide organization pull us away from the truth that sets us free.
The Steering the Church Toward Christ-like Character Leadership Guide includes the content in this post and also provides some examples of how we can let organization entangle us and asks some questions to challenge us more toward making sure it enhances ministry instead.
All Posts about Organization:
- Organization Following God’s Purposes?
- The Cause and Effect Factor of Organization
- The Need for Fluidity in Organization
- Living Organism Needs Organization
- Organizational Structures Help or Hinder?
- Organization Because of Freedom in Christ?
- Organization Enhancing Ministry Not Entangling It?
- Organizational Skills of Jesus
- Why Organizational Skills When We Have God?
- Spiritually Gifted to Organize
- Praying About How to Organize to Best Accomplish Goals
- Rely on the Spirit, Not Organizational Efforts
- The Gospel, the Organized Eternal Plan of God
- Organizational Efforts with a Life-Giving Effect
- The Effects of Life-Giving Organizational Efforts
- The Right Reason for Organization
- Aligning Organizational Efforts with Scripture