Free Not to Do, by Casey Ferguson
Yesterday morning, listening to a sermon at a local church, I heard one of the most incredible illustrations of what exactly salvation looked like in a practical sense. One of the illustrations the pastor used was the anecdotal story of a prominent evangelist as a young boy.
When he was probably 13 years old, this evangelist was approached by a girl who said to him, Why would I ever want to become a Christian? As a Christian you’re unable to do anything fun. You can’t drink or smoke, you can’t sleep around or swear. You’re not free to do anything.
The young man’s response was cutting and to the point. He replied to the girl, a few years older than himself, As a Christian I can do any of the things you can do. I can drink and smoke, sleep around, I can live however I want. The difference between you and me is that, unlike you, I can quit.
In Galatians 5:1 Paul expresses this very idea, saying, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
How odd would it seem to you or me if it was reported to us that a man in prison was released one day but refused to leave his cell? This would see ridiculous to us at best, however, it’s something that all the time, albeit in a more subtle way.
In the movie Shawshank Redemption, Morgan Freeman’s character, Red, a life-long criminal who has lived for decades as an inmate, faces the possibility of parole and is frightened because he realizes he no longer knows how to be a free man. All he knows now is the survival system of the prison. Even upon release from the four walls of Shawshank, he knows in his heart that, because of how dependent he has become of his punishment, he will not truly be free.
The word recidivist refers to a habitual criminal, or one who consistently relapses into old behavior patterns that end in punishment or imprisonment. I believe the term is extremely applicable here.
The girl who felt liberated because she was allowed to drink and smoke, and felt unrestricted by any rules, was in reality held captive by two things: 1) She was held captive by habit: being unable to quit this destructive lifestyle was imprisoning her. 2) She was held captive by sin: a lifestyle founded on emptiness restricts because one loses the ability to find fulfillment.
Due to Christ’s death we are pardoned from our life of sin. Indeed, it is for freedom we’ve been set free. Christ’s sacrifice is what allows us to move around in this life without restrictions, without the bondage of sin. Is their any greater reason to preach the gospel message today?
2 Responses to “Free Not to Do, by Casey Ferguson”
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What a great answer! Love it!
You are wise beyond your years, Casey! It is all about freedom “in Christ”!!