 Exploring Freedom 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 ©2006 CopperCountry.com,Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. |
