The slogan of the state of New Hampshire in USA is Live Free or Die. It is found everywhere
from car number plates, bumper stickers and signs. It is the ultimate expression
of desire to live independently no matter the cost.
On our recent trip to the States, we were driving up the
freeway. As we drove from Massachusetts into New Hampshire we saw a
motorcyclist, driving at 70 mph take off his crash helmet and fumblingly place
it in a pannier on the back of his bike because crash helmets are not required
in New Hampshire. It was an act of great
folly. The law is not there to cramp one’s style but to protect motorcyclists who
may have an accident and come hurtling off a bike and collide at speed with a
large solid object. But people would
rather live free and die than be safe.
Sometimes Christians live like this. They see God’s ways as a restriction on their personal liberty rather than a
loving God’s protection of his people. They would rather be
independent of God and his ways than safe. God doesn’t give laws and ways of
living to thwart people but because he wants to look after us. Sometimes we need to change our default
setting from God being angry, difficult and hard to please to God being loving
and kind and wanting what is best for us.
God’s laws help us rise to the highest calling and destiny
that he has for our lives. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandments
were, ‘(he) replied:
‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the
second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” All the Law and the
Prophets hang on these two commandments.’ Matthew 22: 37– 40.
Jesus
didn’t say this because God is some kind of megalomaniac that needs our love.
He said it because as humans that is what we are created to do. The Westminster
Catechism says ‘Man’s chief end is to
glorify God and enjoy him forever’. What an incredible calling.
Loving
God and worshipping him is what will bring us the greatest joy, freedom and
total satisfaction and fulfilment to our lives. God wants to draw us into the
same, intimate, loving relationship that the Trinity enjoys. God doesn’t need
our love and worship but he longs for us to know his love and we only know it
by opening our hearts to him. That is the path of real freedom.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to
lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. I John 3: 16
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. I John 4: 7
Loving
others flows out of our love for God. As we love our neighbours as ourselves it
brings great freedom to everyone. If we all loved one another as we love
ourselves, some of the greatest ills in the world would cease. Poverty and
hunger would be a thing of the past. No
one is poor or hungry by choice. We look after ourselves and do all we can to
have enough money and food. If we loved
our neighbours as ourselves, everyone would have enough.
God
gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments as the basic laws of living for a just
society for everyone. Many countries have used these Ten Commandments as the
basis of their own justice system and these nations are the fairest and freest
societies.
Where
the laws are not kept pain, heartache, grief and societal break up follow. In
other cultures where different laws are upheld, it usually means the domination
of one sector of society and the oppression of another, often women and
children.
Live Free or Die.
I think not. That way your
freedom always comes at the expense of someone else. God wants us to live free,
after all he sent Jesus to die to free us from the slavery of sin. However
God’s way is the only way to really live free.
So if
the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8: 36
