There's a lot of negativity going around. Not in any sort of hippie sense, but more in a spiritual malaise sense. I used to feel that same spiritual malaise, that sense that "life certainly has to be better than this". One phrase changed that.
Freedom in Christ
The concept of "freedom" has been skewed by American politicophilosophy. (Yes, I made that word up.) Freedom has come to mean that you can do whatever you want, so long as you don't hurt someone else... a very Wiccan view of things. In fact, "freedom in Christ" means the freedom to NOT displease God, to NOT have to worry about tomorrow, to NOT face an eternity apart from our Creator.
Without Christ, we cannot please God. We want to do what is right, but fail miserably. And yet, it's not even up to our own efforts. As Christians, we are FREE to please our Maker apart from our own actions.
That would be enough: I can be pleasing to God where before I couldn't. It still requires that I constantly give myself to Him, rather than TRY to please him. It's an odd dichotomy: as I try to please Him more, I fail. As I allow Him to simply give me what I need and make myself more available to Him, I please Him more.
However, it doesn't stop there. "Freedom is Christ" means that I don't have to worry about my mistakes, my big life decisions, or my "lot in life". I know that I cannot thwart God's plan, nor can I really make a mistake so long as I am seeking God in my life. Basically, it boils down to wanting what God wants, and the rest just falls into place.
Before you ask, no, my life isn't perfect. I have different problems than most of my friends, but there are still problems. Being 27 with an eight-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl and having been married for nearly nine years... there are definitely difficult periods. However, at the end of the day, I'm content with knowing that God is in control (because that's where we've put Him) and that NOTHING can change that.
So basically, I'm a cheerleader for living the carefree Christian life.
Posted by pcg at February 11, 2003 10:58 PMGood post, pcg. I think you hit upon a crucial component that I neglected to cover in my recent theological missive. It's like I did the setup but you take things to the next level. I said we're all screwed up, but that's neither something new nor something that we have the ability to change. I briefly mentioned the Meaning of Life near the end. You complete the thought by reminding that it's through *Christ* that we have freedom, and without that key component we'll still be spinning our wheels.
And for kicks, here is your post, run through The AOLer.
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FREDOM IN DA CONCEPT OF FREDOM HAS B3N SKAWAD BY M3RICAN POLITICOPHILOSOPHY11!111 OMG WTF (YAS I MAED TAHT WORD UP)1!!!1!11 FREDOM HAS COME 2 MEAN TAHT U CAN DO WUT U WANT SO LONG AS U DONT HURT SOMEONE ELS3.1!!11!!!!1!1111 OMG WTF A V3RY WICAN VEIW OF THNGS!!1111! OMG WTF IN FACT FREDOM IN CHRIST MEANS TEH FREDOM 2 NOT PLZ GOD 2 NOT HAEV 2 WORY ABOUT 2MOROW 2 NOT FAEC AN ETERNITY APART FROM OUR CREA2R
WITHOUT!!!!! OMG LOL CHRIST W3 CANOT PLZ GOD1!11! WTF WE WANT 2 DO WUT IS RIGHT BUT FALE MIESRABLY1!11!1!1 OMG LOL AND YET ITS NOT EV3N UP 2 OUR OWN EFORTS!1!111 OMG LOL AS CHRISTIANS WE R FRE 2 PLZ OUR MAEKR APART FROM OUR OWN ACTIONS
TAHT!1!1!1! OMG LOL WUD B ENOUGH I CAN B PLAASNG 2 GOD WHERE BFORE I CUDNT1!!!!1 OMG WTF LOL IT STIL REQUIERS TAHT I CONSTANTLY GIEV MYS3LF 2 HIM RATHER THAN TRY 2 PLZ HIM1!111 ITS AN OD DICHO2MY AS I TRY 2 PLZ HIM MORA I FALE11!1 WTF AS I ALOW HIM 2 SIMPLY GIEV ME WUT I NED AND MAEK MYS3LF MOR3 AVALEABL3 2 HIM I PLZ HIM MOR3
HOWEVAR!11!1!11 OMG WTF IT DOESNT S2P THEIR!!!11!1 OMG FREDOM IS CHRIST MAANS TAHT I DONT HAEV 2 WORY ABOUT MAH MISTAEKS MAH BIG LIEF D3CISIONS OR MAH LOT IN LIEF!11!!11 WTF I KNOW TAHT I CANOT THWART GODS PLAN NOR CAN I RILLY MAEK A MISTAEK SO LONG AS IM SEKNG GOD IN MAH LIEF!!!!11 WTF BASICALY IT BOILS DOWN 2 WANTNG WUT GOD WANTS AND DA REST JUST FALS IN2 PLAEC
BFORE111!!111 LOL U ASK NO MAH LIEF ISNT PERF3CT11!!!! OMG I HAEV DIFER3NT PROBLEMS THAN MOST OF MAH FREINDS BUT THEIR R STIL PROBLEMS!!!!1!!1 WTF LOL BNG 27 WIT AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD BOY AND A FOUR-Y3AR-OLD GIRL AND HAVNG BAN MAREID FOR N3ARLY NIEN YEARS.1!!11!1!111!1!!!!11! OMG WTF THEIR R DEFINIETLY DIFICULT PERIODS111!!111 OMG LOL HOWEVAR AT DA END OF DA DAY IMM CONT3NT WIT KNOWNG TAHT GOD IS IN CONTROL B/C TAHTS WHARE W3VE PUT HIM) AND TAHT NOTHNG CAN CHANGA TAHT
SO!11!!1 WTF LOL BASICALY IMM A CHERLAAEDR FOR LIVNG TEH CAERFRE CHRISTIAN LIEF11!!!!1 OMG
Great post. I have nothing profound to add. Although posting a "me too" message does fit into the AOLer theme that Alan introduced.
I like your (and Alan's) reminders that without Christ, there simply is no true freedom. Any "freedom" to be found outside of Christ is just another form of slavery.
One comment though, to spin off of your post in a slightly tangential direction--
So many Christians seem to miss the concept of freedom in Christ, or they attempt to load it down with so many disclaimers ("you're free in Christ, of course, but you still have to follow Rules A, B, C, and D or you're not really a true Christian") that it becomes fairly meaningless to many believers. I wish that more Christians (myself included) would spend less time asking "What, as Christian, should I avoid doing today?" and more time asking "What can I do today to bring the most glory to Christ and shine the most light on the world around me?" Following the latter philosophy will cover most of the bases and seems more in line with the sort of fearless, active Christianity described by Paul.
Posted by: jrau on February 17, 2003 9:19 AMEven more radical than, "What can I do today..." would be the question, "What are You going to do in me today to glorify Yourself, God?" As a chronically lazy person, there's a certain sense of joy to realize that not only does God do the calling, but God does ALL of the enabling. I no more provide the blessing than the glass (rather than the water) quenches the thirst; I'm simply containing the blessing (insofar as anyone can "contain" God!) until it spills over and blesses those around me.
Posted by: pcg on February 18, 2003 7:07 PMWell, pcg, I finally got around to reading your blog. Sitting waiting for YA select to finish running....
Great topic here. I have but one thing to add:
'It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.' Gal 5:1
:)
Posted by: slowe on June 3, 2003 3:46 PM