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Are We Afraid Of Our Freedom

Posted Dec 15 2010 by Jonathan Brink in , , , with 19 Comments

One of the more provocative verses in all of Scripture is Paul’s statement, “All things are lawful…” (1 Cor 6:12) After the cross God begins to reveal a structure of grace.  The story of Peter’s vision and wrestling with what it means to eat meat explores this tension in detail.  This breakdown provides some detail on the Levitical restrictions that were imposed upon Israel.  For Peter to eat meant going against tradition established by God.

And its easy to think that this releasing humanity from the law is creating a new structure.  But what if its revealing God’s original structure established in the Garden.  If we examine the story in Genesis it basically had no law.  Humanity is free to eat from anything in the Garden.  The parallels in the two stories are obvious, once we understand the problem God is solving.  In speaking to Peter to eat the story is making a direct connection back to the original command.

But the problem is this. Its very hard to imagine a world with no law.  We hold onto it because it provides a not so neat little (actually monstrous) framework for dealing with fear.  All the law is is a human agreement for action.  It gives us comfort to know someone isn’t going to kill us.  So to remove is to create the potential for chaos.  Yet we can’t ignore that this is what God is doing in the story.  God is removing the construct of law in favor of grace.  Grace is infinitely harder to dole out because it requires love.  It requires holding onto the basic dignity of each human being, even in the face of oppression or even death. (see the cross)

But today I was thinking about something in regards to freedom.  Instead of the need to deal with fear, what if we’re really afraid of what freedom represents.  What if in engaging this freedom we go too far.  Could we really go too far?  Could we do something that tested the edges of freedom, only to find there really is a limit and we’re all fooling ourselves.  I was thinking about new Narnia movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and part of the story is in testing the bounds of limits.  Is there an edge of the world?

I’m just thinking out loud, but I’d love to hear what you think?

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About the Author

Jonathan BrinkI am an business development and communications consultant. I am also the senior editor and publisher for Civitas Press. I recently published, Discovering The God Imagination: Reconstructing A Whole, New Christianity. (Civitas, 2011)View all posts by Jonathan Brink →

  • David

    Jonathan I was surprised by Lucy’s comment about the edge of the world especially in view of all she had experienced in Narina. I think she was afraid and gave voice to that fear. Not sure it was freedom that she was afraid of but maybe the unknown. We tend to be afraid of the unknown thing or situation. Our Freedom can put us in this area. Lucy’s feedom to explore her view of herself (her precieved lack of beauty) lead to a few scary moments and not a healthy outcome. So I think freedom can become scary and even have outcomes we don’t deisre. nnMaybe that’s why Paul further stated that although all things were lawful he didn’t desire to be brought under the power of any. A very case for moderation I suppose. nnWe have the freedom to explore but I think there are concequenses when we get to involved in the that which maybe a root issue like our values, our image, and what we hold to be true.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      David, I completely agree that Paul’s statement is placed in check with what follows. We need the idea of “not all things are profitable.” I think God’s original concern is consequence, not with breaking the law. Part of this was exploring what it means to live into that freedom in the confines of freedom. And what showed up for me is that we tend to err on the side of caution, not exploration.

      • David

        Your probably right. I do think we err on the caution side too much of the time. Probably why we don’t live life to the fullest even. For Christ Followers there is no law as such but only to Love God and people. doesn’t that take care of any other law be it civil or otherwise. So let freedom ring ! I think we need to explore more and more….

  • http://paradigmshift-jmac.blogspot.com/ Joe Machuta

    I have not watched the movie yet. In my view, there is a big difference between the laws we enact to protect life and property and the ultimate ideal of Law… God’s Law. One affects/effects an orderly reasonably safe physical existence and the other affects/effects eternal spiritual dimensions. nnAll of the harmful shame, guilt and inferiority complexes result from our supposed view of our standing before God in eternity. They all are a product of our mortality and our fear of the other side of death. Essentially. if we are able to completely alienate ourselves from God eternally, then there is absolutely no hope for anyone. There must of necessity be no limits eternally. Grace is and must be unlimited.nnHowever, to say there are not eternal limits is not to say that there are no consequences. There must be purgative consequences if God is love. If we were created in God’s image then, we must of necessity be love also. Our life here on earth allows us to be different than our essential selves. Shoot, the circumstances promote that. The only thing that brings us to our true self if faith in the fact that God is love.nnStill, there has to be laws for all those who have not self realized and in that number, I include Joe Machuts

    • http://paradigmshift-jmac.blogspot.com/ Joe Machuta

      Sorry for the typos… I need to wear my glasses when I respond.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      Joe, I simply referenced the movie as an example. I don’t think you need to see it to get the idea. And I would ask why you say, “there has to be laws…”

      • http://paradigmshift-jmac.blogspot.com/ Joe Machuta

        Are you advocating that we end civil law? I think that there would be a lot additional crimes of all kinds if there was not a law and a justice system that enforces them… don’t you?

        • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

          I do recognize that we live in a world that has no awareness of its own dignity, so in saying we end civil law would naturally pose immediate problems. But I can’t help but see that we don’t live by God’s original structure, which was based on the awareness of dignity and grace. To want that is tempting.

          • http://paradigmshift-jmac.blogspot.com/ Joe Machuta

            Here is perhaps a place where we do not agree. Now if I can articulate it is another matter but, I will try. Inherent in this world and life we live now are the seeds of the root problem. The root problem is two fold— mortality and, the knowledge of good and evil. I agree with your assessment of the root problem… it is simply perceptual on our part. However, it is likewise very real and, very invasive. All of these problems reside here in this life on planet earth. They are not eternal.nnEternal existence, apart from this life (since this life is all that we empirically know) has a different moral structure by virtue of its eternalness. I think that it could be argued that the eternal is amoral. If I am eternal you cannot end me. If I am just like God in the eternal you cannot hurt me etc.nnI am thankful for example that I do not have to go out into a society where many people are carrying loaded firearms. I will grant you that some people do. I was robbed at gunpoint once so I realize that a few people carry them even though it is against the law. The law however prevents a lot of people from carrying them. Without that law it would be a much scarier world than it already is.nnStill, I believe I am eternal and that as Jesus was in the world so am I so, if the robber had shot me, in eternal terms, he would have done relatively little to me. If more and more people become aware that they are really eternal and they adopt a love for God they will change the dynamic of life here. It still does not hurt to have a law that prohibits carrying firearms.

          • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

            Joe, if we agreed on everything it wouldn’t be as fun. ;-PnnI want to reiterate that I get your concern, although I would use the phrase, “You can’t change me” as opposed to “you cannot hurt me.” The problem I see with the reality of the false perception is that it appears very real, when we give it life. This is the problem of evil. It can only become real when we agree that it is real.

          • Daniel

            Though we are created in the image of God, we are not “just like God”. There is such a vast difference between the two concepts…nnNor are we “eternal”, simply because we will continue on into eternity… When we say that God is “eternal”, we mean that He has no beginning, and no end, (do we not)?nnBut all of us had a beginning. We are created beings. He is not. Our eternal state is subject to His will, His eternal state is subject to no one. nnYou are in the world, but not as Jesus was in the world… Did you come down from heaven, and enter from eternity into history? Are we God in the flesh, like Him?nnnn

          • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

            Daniel, the implied term I would use to describe God is Kairos, which is a distinction of outside of time. Time is only necessary for us to understand our reality.

          • http://paradigmshift-jmac.blogspot.com/ Joe Machuta

            Aren’t you just quoting classic orthodox opinions on the matter. There was at least one eternal human… Melchizedek. We have many rulings by the church dogma on such things as the pre-existence of souls etc. However there are passages of the bible that make the party line not quite so sure.

          • Daniel

            Though we are created in the image of God, we are not “just like God”. There is such a vast difference between the two concepts…nnNor are we “eternal”, simply because we will continue on into eternity… When we say that God is “eternal”, we mean that He has no beginning, and no end, (do we not)?nnBut all of us had a beginning. We are created beings. He is not. Our eternal state is subject to His will, His eternal state is subject to no one. nnYou are in the world, but not as Jesus was in the world… Did you come down from heaven, and enter from eternity into history? Are we God in the flesh, like Him?nnnn

  • David

    Jonathan, I’ve been thinking about this issue for the last couple of days. I’ve come to the conclusion that some folks are afraid of the freedom we have in Jesus. That we are more than comfortable with a certain theology or perspective and hold to views rather than explore other possibilities.nnI was in a fruitless discussion with some of the Elders and Pastor of my Church on the sunject of Gods control and soverignity and their perspective on Limited Atonement. Almost had to laugh at one point because it seemed so silly but it was extremely sad. Guess I should have know better than to voice my thoughts. Oh well…….

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      I like to say that we hold onto two categories because we secretly want God to punish our enemies.

      • David

        I sure hope not.

  • Daniel

    Jonathan…nnIn light of your post here, I am curious as to how you would view someone like Aleister Crowley, and the message he proclaimed…nn”Do what thou will is the whole of the law” was the essence of his entire teaching. nnDo you think he took his “freedom” too far? Do you think God looks upon a life that embraces that kind of “freedom” as a reflection of his love and grace…?nn

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      Daniel, I think only those who “do what they will” can answer that. To me the kingdom of God begins with the law of love. This is the defining law. Its the only one that is really needed. Everything else is an attempt to parse it.nnSo then how do I think God sees anyone living in that construct. Probably with the same concern that God always does. When it hurts the person, God is grieved.nn

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