Exploring Freedom - Day 2

A continuation of yesterday's meditation.

But even if there were no legalists, many people would still resist Christianity because they resist any standards that would place absolute claims on them.  To them, freedom means pure autonomy — the right to do whatever they want, with no accountability to anyone else.

But surely that leads to irresponsibility and license rather than freedom.  Nor do people really live that way.  Sooner or later they choose one course of action over another, based on some set of values.  In other words, they surrender their will to standards, whether good or bad, and act accordingly.  So it is not just the values of Christianity that "stifle" personal freedom, but values in general.

The real question, of course, is what kind of people are we?  What is our character?  Christians try to mold their character after the pattern of Jesus.  He was the most liberated man who ever lived.  His ultimate standard of behavior was, what does My father want Me to do (John 8:29)?  Did that code stifle His freedom?  Hardly:  He was utterly free of covetousness, hypocrisy, fear of others, and every other vice.  At the same time He was free to be Himself, free to tell the truth, free to love people with warmth and purity, and free to surrender His life for others.

True Christian freedom is Christlike freedom.  There is no hint of legalism about it.  It accepts absolute moral standards that are well known and well proven, and it takes its inspiration fromt he most liberated human being who ever lived, Jesus of Nazareth.  What is stifiling about that?

From "10 Myths About Christianity: Christianity Stifles Personal Freedom" in The Word In Life Study Bible-NKJ : Discover the Truths of God's Word for You and Your World