As much as I liked Janice Joplin's singing I cannot agree with her line that says, "Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose." Despite many problems daily, we live in the greatest nation on earth. We have freedoms that others just dream about. We have freedom that others will break the law just to enjoy the barest of these freedoms. Yet, there is a problem. A lot of this country doesn't act like they are thankful for the freedom we have. Rather they feel as if we need to be regulated and restricted which takes away freedom. Should we understand the two greatest commandments first, freedom will dawn upon us.
There is a fine line the Christian lives with the rules of the land versus life with Christ. On the one side of the line is negative and on the other side there is positive. Both of which depend upon your personal definition and identification with what your beliefs stand for. With our excess or our need laying before us, we leave the Biblical and head straight to the worlds definition. Why? Because we don't want to responsible. Responsibility is a central part of Freedom.
I've spoken before how as Christians we are governed by two commands. The first is to love the Lord God. The second is to love each other. Neither one is really complicated. We either do or we don't embrace them. Well intentioned men and women have taken these commands and misinterpreted them in various ways to justify and rationalize their action or inaction. Often we see people and organizations so watering down the Gospel that no one recognizes anything Biblical in it. Does that sound like freedom to you?
Our society has become fixated on worldly measurements regarding whether we are good or bad. Such as, if you have more than someone else you are sinning and need to give away your excess. Mixing a little truth with the lies still leave them lies. We are neither good nor bad for having more or less. Should we fixate on the good versus bad we commit, we lose the freedom to have God be the center of our lives and instead answer to some person or group who feel their way is the only way.
So where does freedom begin and end? How do we bring freedom to our world? How do we bring freedom to others? The answer is simple and yet we make it complex. We live the freedom God has given us. When we do that we fulfill the two commands of loving God and loving our neighbor. It does no good to bring hot dogs to a BBQ and not have buns and stuff to put on them. Instead of having a hot dog you are left with just a small portion of what is represented. Freedom is that way as well. Just because you listen to and argue with a political statement you are not free. Freedom takes a choice informed by the Word.
In order to be free, we must first understand the cost of freedom. The cost of freedom may cost you your life physically and spiritually. Many martyrs have come and gone while making a stand for God and his commands. Martyrs understand the freedom found in belonging to Christ. We have lost that depth of understanding and freedom. In its place we have put worldly definitions and the chains of man's laws that remove any kind of freedom found in Christ.
So, what freedoms do we have? We do have a lot of freedom left to exercise. As long as we are careful and not offensive. Wait, that limits my freedom as well. The one thing they can never take away from me is my belief that Jesus is God, died for my sins and rose from the dead to seal my place in Heaven for eternity. You see, that's the important freedom.
In order to exercise this freedom there is only your decision to love God more than anything. Your choice. Your freedom. Your life. YOU are in control of it all. You have the decision making capability to read the Bible. You have the opportunity to apply the Christian lifestyle to your life. You have the right to give up your rights to God.
No one can make you take a step in any direction. Spiritually at least. If you have spent time as a POW or been sent to a concentration camp you know that they can take your life in a second. BUT they cannot take away your belief in God. Freedom is in the heart of any individual who embraces the freedom of God. They (whomever "they" are) cannot take away my hearts desire.
In many countries there are restrictions from a few areas of your life to all areas of your life. As a Christian, if you travel to some of these countries and try to talk with someone about Jesus you may end up in jail or dead. That doesn't sound like infringement on freedom until you understand that in our country there are few to no restrictions regarding your belief system. Whatever your belief system is.
What it comes down to is our choosing to live for God or not. We have the freedom to do as we wish. We can even choose to not obey in one area while obeying happily in another area of our life. It's all our personal choice. Often that choice is based on what man says rather than based on what God says. Be aware though of the consequences of your picking and choosing what you want to believe and pass onto others. There are pitfalls that erode other areas of your and my life...should we allow them to do so.
An important question is raised by how we live our lives while we are here on earth. What did or do you and your life stand for? Do people see Jesus in your life? Do they wonder why in one moment you are living for God and the next have abandoned Him? As we move on in our lives, do we expect less from God and less from our fellow man? Does the world see your freedom in Christ?
Today I choose to live free and happy. God has taken away my sins. Today I choose to be a blessing to others because God has been a blessing to me. Today I can choose freedom in Christ over slavery to sin. I hope you too can choose freedom in Christ.
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