The world’s definition of freedom:
Doing what I want, when I want, without anyone telling me I am wrong.
God’s definition of freedom:
Living one’s life within the parameters of God’s order and design
When life is lived within God’s parameters, one experiences true freedom. True freedom is not necessarily doing what one wants when one wants. True freedom is living one’s life within the parameters of God’s order and design. When one lives their life according to the wisdom of the world - the wisdom of man - one can expect consequences for walking outside that order and design. These consequences often involve pain and sorrow and suffering and destruction and a never-ending cycle of confusion.
There is a God-created order and design for sexuality. There is a God-created order and design for marriage. There is a God-created order and design for living a purposeful, fulfilled life in spite of the circumstances and temptations of this life. Man’s order involves self-focus. God’s order involves outward focus. It is when mankind seeks to live life outside of God’s design that wounding and destruction come into play.
True freedom - God’s freedom - always comes with restraints or boundaries. We see examples of this truth in the natural world. Ask a sky-diver if the restraints of the parachute add to or take away from his freedom to fall through the sky. Ask a scuba diver if the restraints of his gear add to or take away from his freedom to explore the depths of the ocean. True freedom always leads to joy. Worldly freedom always leads to false joy that eventually turns into bondage and death. True freedom gives us parameters within which to operate to our best abilities! When mankind goes against the design and order of God, all manner of destruction comes into play. Is is true weakness to walk in God’s design for us - or is it true strength?
The enemy - the liar - has coerced the world into believing true freedom involves doing whatever feels right…even if this feeling goes against the order and design of life itself. Why else do we see so much chaos and confusion concerning sexual identity? Why else are so many marriages falling apart in the world around us? Why else is there so much confusion and conflict in our modern, progressive-thinking world? Such progressive thinking leads to man-centered wisdom…and such wisdom leads nowhere but to back to man. Talk about futility. Talk about a lack of real freedom.
If you want real and lasting freedom, try living according to God’s order and God’s design for your life. Life may not get easier, but it will be full of joy as a result.
Dennis Jernigan
For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NASB
If you desire freedom in the way you think about yourself, consider reading my new book, Renewing Your Mind: Identity and the Matter of Choice. Available at https://www.amazon.com/Renewing-Your-Mind-Identity-Matter-ebook/dp/B074G5SN39/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509372549&sr=8-1&keywords=renewing+your+mind%3A+identity+and+the+matter+of+choice