“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
Galatians 5:13
“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.”
1 Peter 2:16
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”. – “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:32 & 36
“Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.”
Psalm 118:5
Does faith limit our freedom? Most religious people will say “no”, because to say “yes” is to suggest that God is robbing them of something we need or deserve. This is where most religious people are wrong.
When a coach or nutritionist gives us a specific diet plan, is he taking away our freedom of eating choices? Yes he is.
We are no longer allowed to eat the things we enjoy, but we do this for the greater good of our health. We give up the foods that diminish our health and fitness but taste great in exchange for foods that do not taste as great, but provide longevity, health and the improvement of body and mind. Now e no longer have dietary freedom, we have given it up for the long-term rewards. We give up immediate gratification for delayed gratification.
When God gives us a plan of action directly from his mind which included rules and restrictions, did He limit our freedom of choice? Yes He did.
But this is the Key Point: We get to choose whether or not we give up our freedom.We as Christians choose to give up freedom, instead of having it taken from us by some third party individual such as a dictator.
This distinction is vital to our faith, and the confusion caused by the lack of properly defined terms damages faith and relationships. God does not take your freedom, you give it up of your own free will. You freely choose to give up pleasure now for a reward later. It is an investment. Just as an investment costs something and is painful in the present moment, it provides so a greater return in the future.
Relinquishing freedom is difficult because it is yet another one of those actions that causes immediate pain and delayed pleasure. These are the types of actions that are the least likely to be repeated. Actions that bring immediate gratification and delayed punishment are the actions most often taken. People enjoy the immediate pleasure of drinking sweet tea or eating cake, and they don’t “suffer” at all until a few weeks later when their clothes no longer fit. They will continue down this road of poor dieting nonetheless because the punishment for their actions is so greatly delayed. It is a long time before they have to suffer the consequences of their actions.
Eating healthy food is the exact opposite. Immediately it gives us punishment (or at least that is what we think) and it does not pay off for weeks or even months. If you are trying to lose weight and you change up your diet, you are not going to see results of your hard work for several weeks, this is the delayed reward and the reason why most people never get into physical shape.
Many Christians think that they need to defend the faith against people who speak against the semi-difficult lifestyle.
The Christian lifestyle does not need to be defended anymore than a nutrition and training plan needs to be defended.
Both require you to take certain beneficial actions and avoid other negative actions for the betterment of your life.
There is nothing wrong or immoral about the fact that we must give up our freedom in some areas of life. We have to give up having sex with multiple partners and simultaneously convince yourself that heaven will be better than sex (a feat that is extremely difficult even nearly impossible to do). Most Christians prove that they do not believe this based on their actions.
We have to give up drinking alcohol and taking drugs in order to be aware, sober and vigilant, even though those “pleasures” are extremely desirable, and any Christian who tells you otherwise should reconsider his pattern of thinking. We give up a thousand small things in life in exchange for the great heavenly reward. This is not easy, and it is not enjoyable.
Again, Christians think they need to defend the faith against those who say that Christianity is unenjoyable.
The Christian lifestyle does not need to be enjoyable just as an intense training and nutrition plan does not need to be enjoyable. Both include a decent dose of pain as a down payment for the infinitely greater benefits that are to come. Both limit freedom, but provide an even greater freedom in the future. There are certainly enjoyable parts of life, but the Christian life is not about earthly enjoyment.
Key Point: All of life is just one masive delayed gratification experience.
Mantra
Suffer today to enjoy tomorrow.
Application
Identify the two schools of thought concerning freedom and eliminate the one that you now know is false. Faith absolutely does limit our freedom. We give up our freedom through our own choice, it is not taken away from us by God. God wants us to decide to follow Him and do what He says, He never asks for us to enjoy it. Exchange your freedom for the delayed benefits of heaven. Exchange sex with many women for heaven. For many men, that is simply too much to ask, as nothing in the world is better to them than having sex with many women.
You must accept the reality of a limited and restricted life. Accept it and know that you are working towards a massive reward. That reward will definitely outweigh any of the so-called sufferings and difficulties we experience on the earth. So give up what you crave on earth. Reject your desires. Strengthen your mind and your resolve. Delay Gratification. Crush the enemy. Be a Man.
Conduct Yourselves Like Men
