When Freedom Doesn't Feel Free TSC

Flip a Coin

We are going to start off by playing a little game

Let’s play a quick game of heads or tails.

Flipping a coin is used for all sorts of things

For stupid games like this

Used in sports games to determine ball possession

Used to settle bets or disputes

When determining a 50% random outcome, why do we use a coin?

But it works for one reason

There are two sides to a coin

You can’t have head without a tail

Or a tail without a head

They come together, as a packaged deal

Freedom is a two-sided coin

Deconstruction Introduction

There is a new movement that is sweeping amoungst the younger generation of Christians

In reality, it’s not a new movement, but it’s just been given a new name, and has a fresh approach.

This movement is known as “Deconstruction” or a deconstructing of faith

How many of you have heard of that?

It’s process is to disassemble beliefs or ideas with the assumption that their meanings are inherently subjective, and it usually leads to questioning, doubting, and/or rejecting aspects of Christian faith.

Now, deconstruction (remodeling) can be a good thing....how many of us had certain beliefs, that have changed as we’ve grown and matured?

There is nothing wrong with closely examining beliefs

Truth will hold up as truth, even under close scrutiny

But modern day deconstruction has become something other than that, and I’ll comment on that in a moment.

Several months ago, I was watching deconstruction testimonial videos on youtube

Some concluded that they didn’t believe in the Christian God anymore

Others became atheist completely

Some identified as “Christian” but had a theology that reflected nothing even close to a Biblical theology

Varying reasons why, but there was a common expression that was used when explaining their “experience” of deconstruction

It was “freedom”

#deconstruced has become a rallying cry for freedom

In one video, a young gentlement talked about his story of growing up in a Christian family, and how since he became an atheist, he has felt more freedom than he ever felt as a Christian.

The process of deconstruction can be very nuanced…people reach different conclusions, and also have differing reasons as to why they are deconstructing

So the freedom that is experienced through deconstruction is really determined by why you deconstructed in the first place.

Here are some catalysts I observed, as well as some of the resulting experiences of freedom. Let me give you 4.

Lazy/Flawed Teaching

In their religious circles doubts or deep questions were unfortunately downplayed with comments like, “you just have to have faith.”

There wasn’t a proper engagement with deep questions

Lazy teaching created a false binary that you either believe in science or you believe in God.

A freedom from restricted, and illogical thinking

Freedom from shaming when you have doubts and questions

Abuse

Some were victims of legitimately abusive religious circles, or teaching that constantly put a condemnation and fear on you and so they want nothing to do with Christianity or at least the version of it they are familiar with.

A freedom from church abuse and trauma, and a wicked system

Freedom from the toxicity of certain evangelical Christian thoughts

Christianity didn’t work

They want to believe in God, and pray and pray, and talk with their Christian friends and pastors, and try to push through, but God seems silent, and non-existent.

Everyone else around them talked about these amazing experiences they had with God, and they never had these.

Eventually they explain their experience as they didn’t want to leave, but God left them…in the sense of He never really existed at all.

Freedom from the torment of trying to believe in something that hasn’t proved it is real

Cutlure/Personal Desires

This type has become more of a “demolition” of faith in an effort to replace long held traditions and beliefs with more culturally or personally acceptable and popular ideas.

They desire freedom from the restrictions of religion, in order to enjoy the freedom of “being true to themselves, and their desires.”

Freedom from outdated views of sexuality and gender

Freedom from out-dated theology on heaven and hell

Freedom to express their own version of Christianity

Freedom to pursue God in their own way

Deconstruction carries with it the promise of freedom

The thought I have today is not so much on deconstruction itself, but on the experience freedom.

These deconstrucionist testimonies of experiencing freedom got me thinking

As Christians, we talk a lot about the freedom that is found in Christ...

We share testimonies of what God “freed” us from in our past lives

But if we are honest about our experiences, there are times when we live with this tension of Christianity not feeling like freedom....or the opposite…personal preference, complete autonomy, not having to answer to a higher power.. feeling freeing

If Christ brings true freedom, why would we experience that tension?

The Apostle Paul addresses this very thing in Romans 6.

Can we experience freedom apart from Christ?

Are the people in these deconstruction videos lying about their experience or do they really feel free?

Can being a Christian still give us the experience of bondage?

The answer to both those questions is yes....but not in the way you may think....I’ll come back to these questions in a few minutes

The title of my talk is When Freedom Doesn’t Feel Free

Here’s why:

Freedom

Freedom rarely stands alone…freedom has a flip side

Most of the time it comes as a two-sided coin

One side is freedom, the other side is bondage or servanthood

When you experience a freedom from something, you also experience a resluting servitude/bondage to something else.

Freedom from obesity but bound to a diet.

Freedom from debt but bound by a budget

Freedom from chaos but bound by civil law.

Freedom from infidelity, but bound to your spouse

Freedom from immaturity, but bound to responsibility

Freedom from sin but bound to righteousness.

Listen to what Paul says in Romans 6, Paul calls this “being a slave to righteousness”

In this chapter, Paul is talking about “True Freedom”

Will be going back and forth between the ESV and the Message Version.

Romans 6:16-23 (ESV)

16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Dont get caught up on the word slave

The word slave here is also translated as servant

You are going to have to be a servant to something....it can either be sin, which leads to death, or obedience which leads to righteousness

I like how the message version puts being a servant to sin

You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom (The MSG)

17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

So walking in obedience to God, he is equating to being bound or enslaved to righteousness

Here is that two sided-coin

We have freedom from sin, but we are bound to righteousness

Vs. 19 (MSG) - I’m using this freedom language because it’s easy to picture. You can readily recall, can’t you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing—not caring about others, not caring about God—the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God’s freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness?

Reinforcing the idea that certain acts of “so-called” freedom, can actually lead to less freedom.

He is giving “true freedom” a definition

True freedom is not a feeling we get from autonomy, it’s a pathway that ultimately leads to life!

That is why we say, only Jesus can bring freedom

Jesus claimed to be the only way to true life

But true freedom won’t always feel free, and at times, false freedom will feel freeing.

He says that next in verse 20

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

You had freedom from righteousness, but you were bound to sin.

You were free to live, not under the rule of almighty God, but according to your own desires and feelings

As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn’t have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter (MSG)

There was this sense of freedom

But although you were freed in that sense, you were now bound to sin, because freedom is a two sided coin

And then he goes on to talk about the end result.

And that is what true freedom is concerned with…not how I feel in the moment, but where it is ultimately leading me.

21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

He’s essentially saying, there is a freedom that leads to life, and a freedom that leads to death, and true freedom is the kind that leads to life

So let me ask this question and answer it with Romans 6 in mind

Can we experience freedom apart from Christ?

Yes, if your definition of freedom is based purely in autonomy

We all have a sin nature…there is something appealing and enticing about sin

So of course I’m going to experience this freedom from righteousness, as Paul puts it, as I act out my desires

No, if your definition of freedom is a pathway to life.

You cannot experience a freedom that leads to life apart from Christ

Can being a Christian still give us the experience of bondage or restriction?

Of course

I’m a Christian, but I still have a sinful nature that desires sinful things, so anytime i say no to my sinful desire, I’m choosing to be a servant of righteousness.

Being bound to righteousness at times can produce the same type of feeling as being bound to a budget

It doesn’t always feel liberating, but it is leading to true freedom

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

The wide and easy way may award you more “feelings” of freedom, but it’s way leads to destruction.

The hard and narrow way can run contrary to certain desires but it’s way is life

Application

Which side of the coin has captivated your attention?

Are you thanking God for the financial freedom, or are you complaining about the budget?

Are you thanking God for health and wellness, or are you bemoaning the diet?

Are you thanking God for His freedom from sin and the pathway to life he has put you on, or are you weary of being bound to obedience and the narrow way?

Freedom may not always feel free, but Jesus is true freedom, because He is leading us into eternal life!

ABC of Salvation

Maybe there is someone here in this room, or and you are saying, I want that freedom that leads to life, that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

How can I find that kind of freedom?

Thankfully Jesus gives us the answer

Not by trying to obey the moral law and hoping the good outweighs the bad

Not by going to church, or identifying with a certain faith community

Not by changing ourselves

Jesus said “You have to be born again”

You have to become something new entirely…you don’t just need a spiritual makeover, you need a spiritual rebirth

The bad news is, we can’t do that ourselves, the good news is Jesus can

Being born again is ABC

Admit

Admitting that there is only one kind of freedom that leads to eternal life, and it’s a freedom that only Jesus can offer.

Believe

Believing that freedom comes to me through the death and resurrection of Jesus

Confess

Confessing Jesus as Lord of your life

If I want freedom from my sin, I have to be bound to obedience of Jesus Christ

Salvation Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus I believe you're the son of God. I believe that on the cross you took my sin, my shame, and my guilt, and you died for it. You faced hell for me so I wouldn't have to go. You rose from the dead to give me a place in heaven, a purpose on earth, and a relationship with your father. Today Lord Jesus I turn from my sin to be born again. God is my father, Jesus is my savior, the Holy Spirit is my helper, and heaven is my home. In Jesus’ name, Amen.