“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom” James 2:12
My family and I were hiking in Fall Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee when we encountered a mountain cliff surrounded by railings. I’m grateful for those railings. They kept our two-year old from falling off of Fall Creek Falls. Ten minutes later we stumbled upon a cliff with no railing which we quickly departed for the sake of our children’s livelihood. The cliff with no railing presented an ever-present danger to our unaware children, while the cliff with the protective boundary gave our family the freedom to enjoy the view, take pictures, and let the children roam freely and play. God’s laws keep us on the path of life where we can flourish, where we aren’t a danger to ourselves or those around us.
God’s laws shouldn’t feel oppressive, they should feel protective. Psalm 19:8 says “the precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.” Obedience, even to the hard truths of God, connects us to God's heart and brings joy, peace, and freedom to our spirits. God’s judgements and corrections set us free from the debilitating effects of sin.
If you grew up in a nation with a fragile government, civil unrest, or lawlessness, you would understand the tyranny of anarchy. In those places crime is rampant because most laws are unenforced; most law enforcement can be paid to look the other way; and most laws feel more like suggestions for your consideration.
Even in the United States we can have a pretty unhealthy view of authority. We distrust most institutions, especially government. We’ve mistakenly grown to believe that laws are whatever we want them to be; whoever is in power can write the laws. So we detest someone else writing policy that restricts our freedoms.
American’s at least have a general sense that there is accountability for lawlessness—this is the fear of punishment. That fear keeps society in check. If you rob someone, the law is coming after you. If you cheat another business owner you will pay a legal and financial price. The worst thing for any town or nation is to remove that fear of punishment or withdraw law enforcement completely. As a rule of thumb, people will do whatever we think we can get away with.
Without laws, might makes right, or majority makes right, but neither of those guarantee that right makes right. Without laws there is the erosion of human trust. Healthy laws protect human life and create a safe playground for all the children to play on. As Christians we don’t obey laws only until we know we can get away with something. We are citizens of an entirely different kingdom. Christians are to live with internal restraining orders that follow the contour of God’s holy character. Right makes right, and that’s a beautiful thing. God’s moral commands are not mere suggestions, they are as unbendable as the laws of nature. They are the guiderails that honor God, keep us safe, and give us wings to fly. They produce a far greater blessing in the long game. Let me flip Jame’s statement around and encourage you with this. The law gives freedom, act like it.
Tags: freedom, judgment, law, protection, chaos, order, society
