Free to Be Me—Part 1

The Rascals sang the heartbeat of post-mods: “People everywhere just got to be free.” Admittedly, this song is now a relic of ancient history (the ‘60s). In spite of it’s age, it surely describes the mindset of many of us. We just want to be free to be whoever we want to be; to do whatever we choose to do.

Christianity doesn’t seem to have any appeal to make to such mindsets. Seem is the operative word, though. Christ has something very important to say about freedom—real freedom!

What the freedom folks are so quick to demand is not freedom; it’s slavery. “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin,” Christ says.

What is so liberating about addiction—to drugs (legal and illegal), to alcohol, to gambling, to pornography, to lying, to constant amusement, to shopping, to cheesecake? What about the heartbreak of broken relationships? The pain that never goes away and loads you with regrets—where’s the freedom in that? That’s not freedom. That’s shackles and chains.

Sin does not free us to be ourselves. We choose sin because we are afraid to be ourselves, we perceive some deficiency in ourselves. Remember Eve? The hook? “You’ll be like God.” That did it. Paradise lost. East of Eden.

Yep. We’ve been free ever since. Haven’t we????