Won't Christian Truth Destroy my Freedom? Part 2
Aug 10, 2010
On the face of things, it does seem that any commitment to truth outside of me might bind me or force me into an “ethical straightjacket.” But if we are honest, we will see that freedom, though much loved, is actually a little more complex than often believed.
Rethinking Freedom. Consider two paradoxical statements made by Paul: “Though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them (I Cor. 9.19); You were called to freedom, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another (Gal. 5.13). Now, we might think these statements nonsense b/c we think freedom means no constraint, doing what I want at all times, etc. But Paul says that is too simplistic. For instance, let’s suppose that you are training for a race. In order to do that, you must restrict yourself from doing everything you want to do in order to do the main thing you need to do. So, you will have to give up certain foods, say no to certain activities, wake up earlier, and get off the couch more often. You must place restrictions on one part of your freedom so you can enjoy a deeper, richer freedom. Similarly, a fish on the grass is not free; his power and life is only present in the restrictive habitat of water. Thus, freedom is the presence of right restrictions. Freedom is the fulfillment of design. What is our design? What are we made for?
Love as the Ultimate Example. We know the power of this if we simply think about love. The freedom to feel love does not come unless you restrict your individual freedom. In order to experience the freedom love offers, you must be willing to submit yourself to the truth. You probably know that I will argue that in the same way, you must submit to the truth of God. Maybe this thought frightens you more as you think of a time when you submitted to a person, when you gave up your freedom, and got burned. Now, you think, ‘I’m afraid of being exposed, duped, and dehumanized again—that’s the very reason I’m afraid to give myself to the truth of God.’ Next week, I will deal with this objection and how it relates to Jesus.
