The other day, I came across an Instagram reel where the influencer posed an old, oft-debated question, ‘Can we allow children to scribble on walls?’ As much as I appreciated her balanced take on the topic, what really drew my attention was a statement she made while giving her opinion – ‘Give freedom with limits!’
‘Freedom with limits’ – can it really be called ‘freedom’? Wouldn’t that be regressive? As a Christian, how can we enjoy true freedom in Christ, functioning within set Biblical standards? And yet, how can we take the gospel to the world by not becoming one with the world?
It boils down to our choices and their consequences. God in His sovereignty created man with free will. In the book of Genesis, God clearly told Adam and Eve that they could eat of any tree in the Garden of Eden except fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If they ate of that tree, they would surely die. Through their act of disobedience, they rejected the boundary set by God to protect them. They chose to go independent of God and showed allegiance to Satan, and as a result, death entered this world. One must recognize that God being our Creator holds the manual for our lives. It would be in our best interest to align our understanding to how He would want us to function and where we need to draw the line so that we don’t fall into Satan’s traps.
To have a sense of direction in our life, we ought to question the motives behind our actions – to please God or to please man and what we hold dear – eternal life or the momentary pleasures of this life. The choices we make in life are governed by whom we choose to serve – God, our Creator, or the god of this world, Satan. Our belief system moulds our thoughts, actions, and the words we speak (Mt 12:34; Lk 6:45). As Christians, we’re called to be the salt of the earth and light of this world (Mt 5: 13-14). Although we are in this world, we are not of this world (2 Cor 6:14-15, 17, Jn 18:36). When we’re born again, we recognize that we are but sojourners in this world (Phil 3:20, 1 Pet 2:11); while we are still here, we have a mandate to set ourselves apart and make a difference in this world, make God known to those around us, and help define our God-given purpose for life.
Boundaries give us a sense of identity and define us. As a true Christian, our identity is in Christ (Jn 1:12, Gal 2:20). Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6). Jesus also said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” (Jn 8:31-32). Jesus is the Truth, and true freedom is found when we abide in Him. Before we knew Christ, we were slaves to sin, pushed into bondage with no real hope (Eph 2:1-2) and weighed down by the yoke of the law (Gal 4:5). But, when we choose to repent of our sins and old ways and believe in Christ’s redemptive work on the Cross, we become new creations – born again (2 Cor 5:17, Eph 2:4-5, 12-13)! No law can make us right with God (Gal 3:21), for if that was the case, there was no need for Christ to die for us (Gal 2:21). Although the law is necessary to set boundaries for us and give us a sense of direction through insights for moral living, the law in itself cannot save us or lead us to salvation. It is almost impossible to keep the law in its entirety and reach God’s standard of holiness. With Christ’s death and resurrection, we now have the law of God written in our hearts (Heb 10:16, Gal 3:24-25, Gal 5:18).
Boundaries also allow us to exercise self-control, a fruit of the Spirit (2 Tim 1:7, Gal 5:23). When we cultivate the habit of self-discipline, we gain victory over temptations and prevent the enemy from seizing control of our lives. We learn to yield more and more to His will rather than becoming yes-men!
The popular children’s song ‘This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine’ comes to mind. The song is based on Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:14-16 – we ought to be like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. A lamp is not lit to be concealed under a basket. However, when placed on a stand, its radiance illuminates the place. In the same way, we ought to model God’s love and mercy through our actions and make Him known to those who are lost in this world.
If we want to minister to people around us through our lives, it is pivotal for us to adhere to a fixed set of values and clear limits. True freedom is experienced only through knowing Christ. But Christian freedom is not a license to continue living in sin and thereby bringing dishonor to the God we serve. Instead, we use this freedom to NOT sin, while serving one another in love (Gal 5:13-14) and placing others’ good above our own (1 Cor 10:23-24).
Let us use our God-given freedom to make a difference in this world in the right way… the godly way. Let God’s word be our gold standard!