The Cost of Freedom

It is amazing how relentlessly Christians often want to fight for the right to live under legalism. I recently wrote a blog about how readily many Christians become angry when they're told the best news they could ever hope to hear - namely, that we don't have to live by religious rules anymore. Rules we never could keep anyway.

Pastors, be advised: There is a price to pay for teaching people that they are free. Some have lived inside, what my friend Paul Anderson-Walsh calls, "St. Shawshanks" for so long that the thought of freedom outrages them.

I've been reading Grace In Practice: A Theology of Everyday Life by Paul Zahl. Here are his on-target thoughts on the matter:

Whenever I say "the law has no future: or observe the impotence of the law to create the virtues it requires, including for Christians, objections start to fly. These objections claim that such a negative gloss on law as I am suggesting is antinomian. "Antinomianism" is the formal word for any teaching that is critical of law or undermines or overturns the law. Antinomianism is regarded as the opposite of of law and order, which would turn a religion such as Christianity into an excuse for "license," which usually means sexual libertinism and promiscuity, not to mention drug use, thievery, casual violence 'a la Mad Max, "Girls Gone Wild," and a total breakdown of law and order. It is safe to say that whenever grace is preached in relation to the law, preachers of grace are -- wrongly -- labeled "antinomian." Ironically, being accused of antinomianism is a sort of badge of honor for those who preach the doctrine of grace, because this reaction means that the doctrine of grace is hitting home. The accusation means that grace is making law-bound people uncomfortable.

To suggest that the Law is faulty, as I recently did in another blog raises the ire of some, despite the fact that Hebrews 8:7 plainly says it is faulty. It is important to understand that "grace teachers" aren't saying the law is faulty in content. God's Law is perfect in content. The fault of the Law lies in its capability. Its assessment of our shortcomings are right on the mark, but its ability to lift a finger to help us is at zero.

For that reason, the Law is yesterday's news. Grace publishes the good news that the whole rules-keeping, impress-God-by-what-you-do game has ended. The Referee got tired of the whole thing and abruptly called off the whole game. Now it's time for the post game party, where the winners (and we all are) celebrate.

Freedom -- turn that word over in your mind again and again. Ironically, our freedom cost Somebody a great price. I refuse to insult Him by downplaying the efficacy of His payment. The value of our freedom is directly commensurate to the price He paid. So "stand firm in freedom" and don't let any sniveling, wrinkle-browed, pointy-fingered, Reverend Ebenezer steal what you've been given.

You're free. Free to live in abandon to Him. Free to run barefoot through the fields of grace. Free to be yourself without self-consciousness about how you look to others. Do it. Just do it.