Freedom vs. Anarchy
Ezekiel 22:23-31
6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 17:6; 21:25 (ESV)
Anarchy and freedom have seemed to some to move in the same direction; in truth, they are complete opposites.
Anarchy, a condition which one is allowed to do “his thing” without external controls, has been claimed to be the ideal state of affairs; actually, the end result is an impossible state of affairs.
Now if everything each did in doing “his thing” was the right thing in every situation, paradise might prevail. History has revealed, and action is revealing that those who insist most loudly for doing “his thing” have little or no regard for personal responsibility for the well being of others. I can assure you the end result of such action isn’t paradise but the opposite.
I believe t hat the darkest days in the history of man is described two times in Bible History. “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Beloved, this is the formula for dark and dire times in the life of society, family and individual.
Anarchy is the result of blind thinking. That which they think will produce an expanded freedom does no such thing, it will be destroyed. Understand, doing only that which is the right in one’s own eyes destroys the freedom of one’s associates and at the same time destroys their own freedom. Freedom does not exist in the chaos of anarchy.
Despite what we are being told by so many today, even among those who are in position to shape the destiny of this nation, Freedom flourishes within the framework of order.
Beloved, this framework is formed by the hard realities of t his world in which we live. Mankind is limited by the situation in which they live.
How long is it going to take humanity to understand that man is truly free only when it lives within the law of its own being as creatures fashioned in the image of God. It makes little difference how much I rebel against the limits imposed by other people; I can never escape the limits of my own nature.
Now if this is true, then wherein is freedom? Freedom is not freedom without limits, without law. My freedom is within the limits of law.
I know that attitude toward law is that it is always negative, symbol of something to be evaded. That individual who does not like law does not face the reality of facts. Whether one likes it or not he has to live with it.
Limits of life are drawn for making freedom. These limits I have no control: What I am at Birth: Color of skin, Basic Level of natural Ability, General Pattern of Temperament, Assets and Liabilities of my Environment to name a few. These were given to us with no choice of our own.
What I am at birth, at 12, at 24 at 50 or 100 depends not only on what I was given at birth, but on what I have done with my heritage, large or small.
Jesus told a parable of a prosperous business man about to take a trip. He entrusted fixed funds to three of his servants. To one he gave $6,000, to another $3,000 and to another $1,500. Remember neither of these servants had a choice as to the amount received.
The choice they had was what they did with this money given to their trust. To the one given $6,000 under his care became $12,000. To the one who received $3,000 under his care became $6,000. But, notice the third servant did nothing with his $1,500. He made no use of what was placed in his trust.
Now comes the Law; the ones who used their potential with equal faithfulness were rewarded equally even the thought the results were different. The one who made no use of what was entrusted to him lost all he had.
Now, let’s get right down to the nitty-gritty. The use we make or do not make of our freedom makes a difference. To use it to destroy freedom is very common. You see the Bible has a name for this. It is called “SIN”.
Beloved, to run contrary to the Law of God, as expressed in the Bible and in our own nature is to end up a slave to circumstances, habits, to live life’s most bitter bondage.
Also, we are seeing today, that individual setting forth to deliberately develop a personality cult, seeking the ones who will remain devoted to them and their philosophies, thus giving them affection, loyalty and faith that rightly belongs to God.
This type of deception is being used today as never before in history. Using God as a tool of the world and science to lead a people down a very dismal path to doom. These so much of the time, weave into the philosophy the idea that God always rescue the fallen no matter how deep that one sinks.
GOD DOES NOT FORGIVE THOSE WHO DO NOT WANT FORGIVENESS, HE DOES NOT LIFT THOSE WHOSE DESIRE IS TO SINK DEEP IN THE PIT OF HUMAN DEGRADATION.
Only as the prodigal repents, comes home and turns to God in deep contrition will forgiveness be theirs. It is only then as they earnestly seek God do they change and alter their ways of life.
Beloved, Paul does not soften the blow in condemning Filthiness, Foolish Talking, Jesting, Uncleanness, Idolatry and Hatred as sins altogether unworthy of a child of God, the true Christian.
The enormous effort being put forth today by even the clergy in many instances, the insistence that the tragic physical deviates may continue their unnatural acts and still be counted as holy children. Many are preaching and teaching that theft, murder, adultery, fornication and even lying can be tolerated without offense to God.
They do this by pursuing a tailor-made religion by the putting together certain select passages and ignoring other portions that clearly condemn such heresy. They teach that God is a being of universal love and as such would not tolerate an eternity of punishment for sin. This is taught in the face of overwhelming presence of Satan, Evil Personified. The scriptures are most faithful in its warning of this very thing becoming to pass. Continued spiritual infidelity and continued evil will always bring such to pass FOR THIS IS A REJECTION AND DEFYING OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER.
God is always the same and as the text states, He will not be mocked.
It is very common to humanize God this way. It is seen in the modifying and compromise of the Word of God as a means to excuse excesses of pleasure, abandonment of chastity, rejection of fidelity and disregard for truth and honor. All because we surrender to fads,, philosophies and abnormalities. This leads to the idea that God is going to do the same thing and this is utterly and totally false.
The reading of the text we see the emphasis upon obedience, sanctity and spiritual values. This has bearing to finding God’s unending favor. Man must live honorable, sacrificial and exemplary lives.
Man faces a sad state of affairs when Jesus Christ can be blasphemed, ridiculed and held up for contempt not only on the public stage, but within the walls of the place of worship. How? When the church as an organization holds that abortions can be clean and pure, that alcohol and drug abuse are acts of spiritual faith.
When criminals are made to feel that they have nothing to fear from God, even they do not change. When total anarchy/defiance is held to be the honorable way life; REST ASSURED THAT JESUS IS BEING CRUCIFIED ANEW BY THE VERY PEOPLE HE CAME TO SAVE.
No way can be found in the Word of God to nationalize the teaching of the scriptures with the nationalizing of the lowest order of human thought and action. To say the lowest order of human thought and action is a correct and acceptable way of life is to live in defiance of a Holy God. Look at what is happening around us! That which we used to call sin is now bad and what we used to call sin is now good.
THERE IS A FORGETTING THAT GOD RECOGNIZED THE SINFUL TRAP OF THE FLESH FROM THE BEGINNING. God is a just God, a merciful God, a God of affection and concern. He is not mocked, and He is not Deceived. Spiritual Justice is not like Civil Justice for God’s Justice is constant and never changing.
Beloved; one thing we must learn and should know even now because the witness of the Scriptures tells us so very plainly: MAN MUST LIVE FOR GOD TODAY AND IN SO DOING COMES TO KNOW HIMSELF ANSWERABLE TO THAT HOLINESS THAT SUPPORTS HIS LIFE. To question this, to doubt this will keep us from the life we are called to live.
Beloved; if man could hear the voice of god and could know they hear that voice, then every thing would be all right. It is not that way. Man hears only the voices of other men, responding to the thoughts of other men, placing their trust and faith in other men. Thus they miss God and move into an abandonment known only to the damned.
Today we have come to trust in the abilities of the human effort and only seek God in the direst circumstances to expect Him to act with our beck and call and give a blessing to our evil deeds.
Beloved; surrender must come ahead of salvation. Repentance must come ahead of salvation. Search the scriptures and then answer if you will, “Can we honestly expect God to forgive when those calling are still wallowing the depths of sin?”
I plead today for a surrender, that initial act to God of all our hopes, our faith, our desires and strive with much prayer and loving concern to chasten those who deal with God falsely.
Man cannot go on refusing to recognize God as a way of escaping life. God has made so very clear what he expects and has warned us by revealing what these last day will be like.
Will you stand in the gap?
