3 Insights on Freedom as Independence Day Approaches

In America we always hear a great deal about freedom. Especially so around July 4, our Independence Day. And with our convoluted mixture of religious and political thought, Christian talk about freedom becomes a muddle.

The muddle shouldn’t surprise us: Scripture strongly emphasizes freedom as a gift at or near the heart of the Gospel. It starts with the Old Testament picture of salvation, in which the people of Israel were freed from centuries of slavery in Egypt. It continues with statements about the work of Christ:

So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

But is this biblical concept of freedom the same as the freedom we celebrate so passionately?

Think of the freedoms we most frequently hear about:

• One is freedom of religion — we are free to worship how we want, where and when we want, Whom we want.
• Another is freedom to keep and bear arms — we are free to have weapons to hunt, and to defend ourselves.

And bad use of our freedoms does not take them away. Americans staunchly defend freedom of religion even if we take it as freedom not to show up to worship at all. Americans staunchly defend freedom to keep and bear arms even when people use their legal weapons to wreak deadly havoc on those around us.

Our culture celebrates freedom to do as we please. Is that Christian freedom?

John Calvin (1509-1564) had a lot to say about both religion and politics — and about freedom. As a theologian he deeply shaped the Reformed and Presbyterian churches, writing a shelf of books still studied today. He also deeply influenced the political life of the newly Protestant city-state of Geneva, and corresponded with political shakers and movers across Europe.

In his most influential book The Institutes of the Christian Religion, he devotes a chapter to the topic of freedom. It is completely separate from his chapter on civil government. Calvin is concerned with the specific kinds of freedom that are part of our life as Christians. His thoughts are well worth your consideration.

Calvin says that as Christians we have actually have three kinds of freedom.

1. We are freed from the need to make ourselves okay with God by obeying the law.

That’s a paraphrase, of course. Calvin talks about freedom of conscience because Jesus ended justification by works of law.

Apart from Christ the way to avoid condemnation by a holy God was strict obedience to the law. Now, because of Christ, we no longer live by this standard.

That is an amazing gift. That opens up a whole new way of living and relating to God. No condemnation from the law?

WOO HOO!!!

So does this mean all Christians have that American style freedom to do whatever we want?

Not so quickly.

2. We are set free to obey God out of love and gratitude.

Now we can freely do what God has told us he wants us to do — in the law.

What? Is this a bait and switch? The first freedom said we weren’t under the law, and now the second freedom says we obey it anyway?

It is not a bait and switch. It is a change of heart.

Apart from Christ we knew of God as judge, and the law was the standard we had failed to meet.

Now, in Christ, we are adopted as God’s beloved children. Instead of being our judge, God is now our loving Father. Now we want to live in ways that please God, not out of fear but because we love him and because we are grateful.

You might say that’s proof of the first amazing gift — some of the real goodness of that first freedom. With that threat of condemnation totally gone, we grow into a life of intimate love and joyful gratitude.

AHHHH…

So what’s left?

3. We are free to say “Meh” about things that don’t really matter.

Obviously another paraphrase. In Calvin’s terms we are free to remain indifferent about indifferent things.

Calvin is convinced that not everything in this life is a matter of life and death. He is reacting to a culture in which neglect of little religious observances was thought to threaten your salvation.

Calvin says not so much.

Some things really do matter — and God has made sure they are spelled out in Scripture, so that we can live in joyful, obedient, gratitude.

Some things are helpful to some people, and not so helpful to others. We are free to do them. We are free to not do them.

I like this freedom, especially when it reminds me to not be bossy about how other people ought to live out their faith — and when I need a little support against the bossy voices of those around me.

In our freedom we all need to find the things that help us draw close and love God more completely, and to care for the people around us more compassionately.

Other stuff?

Meh.

Christian freedom is really quite different from what our country celebrates. But it is the freedom we really need, in the depth of our souls. We don’t need more permission to do as we please. We need to be drawn back into the life God intended for us.

Thank God we’re free to give it a try.

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July 4 is also my birthday. Hip hip hooray!

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I’d love to hear from you in the comments: What comes to mind as a good example of living in Christian freedom — from your life or someone else’s?