Choices, Choices, Choices

Choices, Choices, Choices…….

We celebrate our independence on this Fourth of July.     With our national independence we have the freedom to choose in many areas of our lives.     But, as with all freedoms, our ability to choose ends with the limitations set down before us.

For example, we have the freedom to drive and travel where ever we wish.     But, the limitations include the necessity of driving on the right side of the road,  within designated speed limits,  off private property,  only in places where our vehicle is capable of traveling, stopping at stop lights, etc.

God’s word shows that God has made some choices also  —  in the freedom of His almighty love for us all.     John 3:16 shows that God chose to love the whole world and offer everyone the gift of salvation.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.    For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through Him.

In Deuteronomy 7:6-8,  God chose the Israelites  to be the forefathers  of the Savior of the world.     Why did He choose the Israelites?

For you are a holy people to the LORD your God;  the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples,  but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers,  the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Know thereforethat the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments…

According to Joshua, God’s choice to give salvation to the whole world  puts the whole world in the position of having to make a choice.     We have the freedom to choose God’s gift of salvation  —  or not.     In  Joshua 24:14-15,  Joshua says,

Now, therefore,  fear the LORD and serve Him  in sincerity and truth;  and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD,  choose for yourselves today whom you will serve;  whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River,  or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living;  but as for me and my house,  we will serve the LORD.

Joshua had a very good reason for choosing to serve the LORD.     He wanted to be free from the slavery of the world and all its wicked ways.     Idolatry, greed, lust, ego-centric selfishness, spitefulness, and the like enslave us and eventually bring us a lot of suffering and eternal judgment.     We can choose it if we want  —  but it is not a wise or good thing to “want”.

When Joshua chose to serve the LORD, he was expressing the same truth  as Psalm 119:45,

And I will walk at liberty, 
For  I seek Thy precepts.

We have special freedoms when we pay attention to God’s ways of living.     The freedoms of living in God’s love will lead us to the joys of being a child of God.

Jesus says basically the same thing to us in John 8:31-32,

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.

It’s the choice of abiding in the word of God  —  which has proven itself to be true  —  so that we can have a wondrous freedom from sin, and the joys of the true love of God.     Jesus further explains in John 8:34-36,

Truly, truly, I say to you,  everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.     And the slave does not remain in the house forever;  the son does remain forever.    If therefore the Son shall make you free,  you shall be free indeed.

In our life’s choices, should we choose to be enslaved to sin?  —  or  should we choose freedom in the forgiveness of sins, freely given to us by faith in Jesus?    

Note how biblically right choices are based on love for God and people in general.     The biblical right choice gives us the responsibility of actively caring for others.     The choice that Jesus wants us to make is not self-centered or selfish in any way.    

When the world makes the choice to please only itself in every way possible, it is actually enslaving itself to sin.     Although they think they are pleasing themselves in the short term, in the long run they will only find the misery of their self-centeredness.

We need to daily choose the freedom we have in Christ.     If we don’t,  we’ll easily get sucked into the slavery of this world.    As we enjoy our freedom in Christ, we say,  “Hallelujah!     My Lord,  what a marvelous gift You have given me!”

Love,  
Margaret

 

 

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