What Is Freedom?

WHAT IS FREEDOM?

The ANC slogan for 2014 is “Celebrating 20 years of freedom!” Really! Who are the free people in South Africa –criminals who literally get away with murder, public servants who are free to help themselves without consequences? Free to do what? To cause chaos to get their own way?

There are two definitions of freedom – the world’s and the Bible’s. The world says, “Freedom is having no restrictions so that I can do as I please because I love myself”. The Bible says, “Freedom is living within God’s boundaries to please God because I love Him. The Hebrew people said that hell is a place without boundaries.

Jesus said, “Check the fruit.’

What happens when people think they are free to live for themselves? They clash with everyone else who is living for himself. The result is what we have in society around us, chaos and confusion; hell. When one driver decides to ignore the red robot, he will collide with the other driver who has the right of way. Someone will get hurt.

The tragedy is that our precious young people in the church are influenced by this toxic idea of freedom which they see in their peers. When the Bible clearly says that God decides who is in charge, they are being told that they are in charge and, when they don’t get their own way, they force the issue by whatever means they can.

Jesus came to earth as God’s Son. That means that, while He was on earth, He was not in charge, not even when it came to being crucified on the cross or not. He didn’t want to die like that but He nevertheless submitted to His Father. “Not my will but yours,” he said.

Surprisingly enough, as a human being Jesus had to learn two things that would set Him apart as a true Son – submission and obedience, the two qualities which young people have thrown out. He was a Son but He had to learn to be a Son.

What young people do not realise is that they can never expect anyone else to submit to or obey them one day when they are supposed to have authority if they refuse to submit to those in charge now. And lawlessness is the terrible outcome of throwing away all restrictions.

On the other hand, Jesus said that true freedom comes from obeying His teaching. Like everything else in God’s way of doing things, what seems like bondage is actually true freedom. We have to make the choice and accept the consequences.

Have you read my new book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (copyright 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

Available on http://www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or kindle version or order directly from the publisher at http://www.partridgepublishing.com.