Freedom

For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. - 1 Peter 2:15-17

I've been watching the History channel a lot lately and for reason there's been a special on Nazi America and the freedom of Speech and freedom of Religion constitutions that they use to protect themselves from the law for all the ridiculous things they preach. Many Nazi Americans believe that Jesus is white and that Jews are the childen of Satan and Blacks are half breeds. Also they believe that Jerusalem should be bombed and that America is the new Jerusalem. These teachings and talk about a "Free World" just boggles my mind. How can people misinterpret freedom so much?

Many people today believe that having no rules, no laws, no inhibition, and no responsibility is freedom. I think like this sometimes as well. I want to leave all the things that bind me to this place and pack my bags and head out west with my snowboard and a tent. Just live a "Free" life. But is this really freedom? Being pysched out on drugs. Drinking so much and passing out. Smoking so that the problems of this world can disappear? I don't think this is freedom at all. Its the chains of the devil and it inhibits our minds to focus on God. It distracts us from doing what we were called to do. The freedom that God promised us was the cross. Many people don't want to carry it and think that its no freedom at all but that's what it is. Our freedom came at a price.

My favorite part of the passage is this, "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God". I feel that this portrays Christianity in one simple sentence. Yes, we are free but let's not use "freedom" as an excuse to do whatever we want with no laws or inhibitions, but as free men let's chose to live as a servant of God.