Freedom With No Limits

Does this stop sign restrict your freedom? Think about it. You have to stop. . . .Or do you? you are free to just blow right through it if you want. But there might be some consequences. Does this speed limit sign restrict your freedom? Again you can choose to just go at what ever speed you want, but again there might be some cosequenses for your choice, like a car accident or even loss of your drivers licence or other freedoms.

I have heard some people say, “I would follow God but it will limit my freedom too much.”

Freedom with guidelines and boundaries doesn’t seem much like freedom to us. I once went to a car race called the Long Beach Grand Prix. They told me I could view the race from wherever I wanted to, but they wouldn’t let me out on the track. They had these barriers and fences that limited my access. Another time I was out hiking and there was this fenced pasture with cattle. On the fence there was a sign that said keep out but it was a long way around so I wanted to jump the fence and go straight through.

Our every day lives are already full of rules and regulations (like the laws that control the way we drive a car) that limit us even before adding God’s rules to our lives.

Do you think God wants to limit your freedom?

Unlike today Adam and Eve didn’t have to worry about very many rules, laws, or regulations. In the Garden Of Eden God only had one rule for them to obey. Genesis 2:16-17. And the Lord God commanded the man saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.” What can we learn about God’s desire for us from this?

First, contrary to what you might think God is not hung up on rules. In the world God made and the way He wanted it to be, there was only just one “thou shalt not”. This one rule was to establish God’s authority, because He knew we would have the most freedom possible with God in charge.

Second, God gave men the ability and freedom to do what ever they wanted within the very loose guidelines He established. It was not the freedom to do whatever they wanted without consequences (it was close). That type of freedom does not exist and never has.

Third, sin and not God is what took away peoples freedom. Satan lied to Eve and then Adam and Eve fell for the lie. It is still this way today. When Adam and Eve tried to do their will instead of God’s will they lost freedom instead of gaining it.

They lost the freedom to live in the Garden of Eden.
They lost the freedom to walk with God.
They lost the freedom from shame, guilt, fear, and pain.
They lost the freedom from sickness and death.
They lost the freedom that came from having right relationship with each other.
They lost the freedom that came from having a right relatonship with the earth.

Every day Satan is offering us the same lie that Eve fell for, “the most freedom is found outside the boundaries.”
People will tell you, “You are missing out” or “try it just once.” We are tempted by the same old lie, a promise of freedom to do whatever we want with no consequences. There is no such freedom and there never has been.

As we get farther from obedience to God’s will, or farther from the Garden of Eden, the less freedom we have. Ask an older person if they had to lock their doors when they were young.

God desires us to have the most freedom possible without getting hurt. For this reason He established limits to provide for and protect our freedom.

God, through Jesus Christ, still lets us be free to make our own choice. We are free to choose between.
God’s will or Our own will
Everlasting life or Death
Righteousness or Sin
God’s protection or Doing it on your own

Let’s get back to the car race. As I watched the race a car lost control and crashed into the barrier and fence and I suddenly looked at the fence differently. Instead of limiting my freedom it was protecting me from harm. On the hike I chose to jump the fence. About half way across the pasture a large bull saw me and decided I was a threat. He came at me aggressively and I ran for the fence. When I got to the other side of the fence I looked at the fence in a new way. Instead of an obstacle limiting my freedom the fence was protecting me from the angry bull.

The funny thing is, in the end often the very things that appear to restrict our freedom are the same things that protect us from harm and in some cases loosing freedoms. The things that appear to take away our freedom may be the things that can protect our fredom and in some cases save our lives.

God tells us things to protect us and our freedom, and to help our lives be the best they can be, not to limit us. God has more knowledge and wisdom than we will ever have, so He has the ability to protect us from danger that we might not understand or see. God does this throught His word the Bible. You see just like the street signs help us keep the car on the road and not in a ditch, the bible helps us keep our lives out of the ditch or from being a major accident.
Just like street signs the Bible can show us which way to turn, or or help keep us from making a wrong turn when we should go straight. Proverbs 4:27, Turn not to the right or the left, remove thy foot from evil



















And the bible can help us to not go in the wrong direction . 1 Timothy 3:5, Having a form of godliness but denying the power therof: from such turn awayAnd where to find spiritual rest. Matthew 11:28-29, Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" And the bible can show us where to get spiritual food. John 6:27, Do not laborfor food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life which the Son of Man will give to you. And it helps keep us from going down a path to spiritual death. Proverbs 14:12, There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end there of are the ways of death. and Proverbs 14 fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death.

And the Bible warns us that we are flamable! Revelation 20:15, Anyone not found written in the Book Of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire. And Revelation 21:8, Unbeliving, abominable, murderers, sexualy imoral, sorcerers, idoloters, and liars shall all have their part in the lake which burns with fire which is the second death.
The good news is when we choose to follow Jesus the Holy Spirit comes into our lives as a helper and is our guide instead of the law. Also the bondage of our sin is gone because the price has been paid. In John 8:36 Jesus said. If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed