You can. But your choices always have consequences. If you choose to live a certain way, you must also carry the consequences of that choice. One of the biggest issues in our society is the entitlement to live a certain way while also wanting others to carry the burden of your personal preference. For example, if you radically alter your appearance, like changing your gender, that’s your choice, assuming you are an adult. But then you cannot force all of society to accept your choice.
What does “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” look like for Christians? We have chosen to follow Christ, and we must live with the consequences of that choice. Consider two questions asked of Christians:
1. Why does the Bible have so many rules?
2. Who are you to tell me how to live?
We say things like, “Christ can set you free! Live for Him.” Some might reply, “That doesn’t sound freeing at all!” Others might say, “Anyone making a truth claim is simply trying to gain power over someone else.” Still others could say, “True freedom is the ability to create your own
meaning and purpose.” You have probably heard some version of the philosophy. Live the way you want so long as you don’t hurt anyone else. Be who you want to be. It’s your life! Christianity—to many—seems to be the enemy of freedom. We have “rules.” We make exclusive truth claims. Are we the enemy, as some claim? No, but I understand why some would think so. It all depends on how you define freedom. When we follow Christ and receive
His salvation through the Holy Spirit’s power, we decide to live like him.
To be free to love someone, you must be willing to be constrained. You can’t have a deep relationship with another person while at the same time saying, “But I’m going to do what I want while I’m with you.” To know the freedom of love, you must give up your personal freedom. For example, a one-way marriage is not healthy at all. Both husband and wife must agree: “I’ll adjust to you. I’ll change for you.”
God expects the same thing from us! He “adjusted” to us by becoming human to save us. And we must adjust to His standards of salvation to know His love. We will cover more about this freedom on Sunday. See you then!