Why do we want freedom?
What does freedom mean to you? It seems that modern society values freedom very much: it is a great advantage to live in a free state, to have freedom of thought and religion. Of course, we need all of these assets of society, as well as the literal ability to dispose of our time and whereabouts. We need freedom to achieve our goals, to feel strong and important. When we are independent, all doors are open to us, no one can stop us from fulfilling our desires.
We live in a time of independence, and the word freedom is taking on rather unexpected connotations. Society dictates to us that absolute independence will make us free and happy, and many people are afraid to even start a family so as not to be obligated to anyone and not to depend on anyone. But is this really freedom? What is true freedom like?
How to find freedom?
The most accurate answer, as always, can be found in the Bible:
So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him: If you abide in my word, then you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
The Gospel of John 8:31,32
But we are already free, they thought, as did many of our contemporaries, to which Jesus responds:
Most assuredly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
The Gospel of John 8:34
Yes, we are sinners, which is hard to realize because we tend to think the best of ourselves. Many people console themselves that they are no worse than others, and sometimes even better. People think that if they have not killed or robbed anyone, it does not concern them. But this is a mistake: sin affects everyone and is closer to us than it seems. This is confirmed by the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:
"You have heard that it was commanded to the ancients, 'You shall not kill, and whoever kills shall be subject to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother is already subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother: "You fool," is subject to the supreme judgment, and whoever says, "You are insane," is subject to hellfire.
The Gospel of Matthew 5:21,22
The mere thought of doing evil to God or to people is sin. Sin is anything that destroys our relationship with people and God, as well as anything that destroys us from within.
This means that we are addicted to sin. Our dependence is manifested in the fact that when we want to do something good, we are not always able to do it.
For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I do the evil that I do not want to do. But if I do what I do not want to do, it is not I who do it, but the sin that dwells in me. So I find the law when I want to do good, that the evil is in me.
The Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans 7:19-21
Jesus is ready to make us free, and He wants to do it. But while He respects our freedom, He cannot do so without our consent. We are free to say to the Lord: "No!" and remain slaves to sin, or we are free to let Him into our hearts and find true freedom.
