As we began last week, we must avoid confusing American political ideals with the truths of Scripture. Principles articulated in national treasures like the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence have so far provided a secure and united nation. But these same principles—Equal Rights, Freedom, Individualism, and Opportunity—deserve scrutiny in light of God’s values.
Freedom From
American history is full of examples of the oppressed casting off the yoke of oppression and slavery. Just prior to the Revolutionary War, Nathan Hale cried out, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” Our Bill of Rights proclaims freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, and so forth. Indeed, I cherish these freedoms!
But nowadays you hear people chant the tiresome refrain, “This is a free country, I can do what I want,” especially when someone challenges their self-destructive or immoral behavior.
Freedom from all rules is not the kind of life God plans on us living with Him. He is our Creator. He has the authority to declare what we shall do, and what is best. Paul says in Galatians 5:16-17, “the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh … you may not do the things that you please.” Christianity is not a Burger King religion—you can’t have it your way.
Americans may think of freedom as the freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I want, free from all obligations. But this isn’t freedom in the Biblical sense. Let me provide an example. In Mark 5, Jesus met a man who was free of all restrictions—free of fetters, free of the concerns of work, home, friends and society, free of schedules, free even of clothing. And yet he was absolutely miserable! He was not at liberty in any sense of the word. Only when he was finally brought into submission to Jesus, did he find tranquility and joy and community.
What many people are calling “freedom” is merely license, pure selfish self-indulgence. Jude warned of “ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 4). Freedom from all rules usually leads to my being enslaved to the worst habits, and my becoming a victim to the consequences of sin (Numb 32:23). Those who have “given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness” (Eph. 4:19) experience faux-freedom. Ever spoken to anyone who tearfully wished he could be set free from drugs? From porn?
I would challenge us to think of true freedom not so much freedom from rules, but rather a freedom to live in the best way, a discovery of what human life and godliness are all about. Generally, I find the most joy and freedom when I see my role as a servant of God and as a companion to others. Paul says, “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 3:13-14).
No matter how hard we insist otherwise, everyone is a slave to something (Matt. 6:24, John 8:34). I must either serve self and sin, or serve Christ. But, whom I choose to serve leads to radically different outcomes! “When you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness” (Rom. 6:16-17). I don’t think any of us would label the results of a sinful lifestyle—pain, guilt, death, Hell—as freedom. “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Rom. 6:18, Luke 4:18).