As I explained during the insight of discipline, love is the best motivation for discipline. Yet, to be truly successful, to be what God wants us to be, we must love. In order to love we must know the difference between freedom and lawlessness. In order to love we must exercise the freedom Christ died to give us and turn our backs to the lawlessness from which He took us.
What is freedom?
"Freedom is not doing what you want, but doing what is right." I have heard many Christians say that, so I don't know who deserves the credit. It does come from what Jesus taught. Paul mentions it in Galatians 5:13 "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." The concept that freedom is the right to do as you want is a perversion. It is an excuse for unbridled sinful behavior. Paul states in Romans 6:16 that we are either slaves of sin or righteousness. It is only in Christ that we find the freedom to choose between the two, because Christ has set us free from sin to obey Him. (Romans 6:6)
The whole purpose for freedom as Paul points out in Galatians 5:13 is so we have the opportunity to love. True love is the result of a willful choice to enhance another person's life at our own expense. Freedom is the highway for love to bring blessing to others.
This Biblical understanding is why the founding Fathers of this nation exhorted the nation to keep the Bible as the guidelines to keep freedom in its proper place. James Madison who was the "Chief Architect of the Constitution" said this about the Ten Commandments:
"We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves … according to the Ten Commandments of God."
John Adams pointed out the failure of human will and government power to control human passions.
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion … Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
What can keep our children and us on the right track?
It becomes obvious then that God has provided not only freedom from sinful passions but a way to stay clear of such a destructive path. Our theme verse gives us the answer to this question of what can keep us on the right track.
Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
Without a doubt, the study and application of the Bible will lead us to enjoy the success our God has for us. As Jesus stated, the key to freedom is truth, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." When we listen to His admonition and abide in His Word we will experience freedom. It is in this Biblical freedom that we will discover the joy of true love. We will not be a bondage to selfish lusts and earthly pleasures. We will succeed in the very love God has made us to enjoy. That is why Jesus can clearly state in John 15:10-11 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."
