Back in 1905 the Christadelphian magazine printed the wise observation, “There are two freedoms: the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where a man is free to do what he ought.”1
The surprising truth is that it actually is a false freedom to be free to do whatever we like. This capability has been our downfall since the beginning of time when Cain freely acted on his desire to kill his brother, and when his father and mother yielded to their desire for the forbidden fruit.
The true freedom, to do what we ought to do, may not be as appealing, but certainly it is the better way. Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general, advised, “Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less.” We are thankful for the freedom we have to worship our God, which is what we ought to do, as Solomon tells us: “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
However nowadays, the popular slogan going around advises, “If it feels good, do it.” Many people think they have the right to do whatever they feel like doing to make themselves happy; even the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to pursue happiness. People seek happiness in alcohol, drugs, wealth, or zoning out in front of a TV, and yet many marriages end in divorce, parents and children are fighting, and prospects for the future look bleak. The pursuit of happiness does not guarantee happiness.
Following the true freedom, doing what we ought to do, is actually the road to happiness. James M. Barrie explains, “The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes to do, but in liking what one has to do.” For us, serving the Lord should bring true happiness. David declares, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” Unfortunately the world has not learned this secret.
Paul is in agreement, but he also confesses that while his desire is to do God’s will, there is a conflict within him. He admits, “When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”
We also, like Paul, have this conflict. Our natural instincts make us think that we want to follow the wrong freedom and do whatever we want to do, but because we love the Lord, we also want to choose to follow the true freedom and do what we ought to do and obey our Lord. The good news is we can overcome through Jesus Christ our Lord, just like Paul did. This path of righteousness will bring true happiness, true contentment and true peace with God, giving us that promised peace from God that passes all understanding. We then, with Paul, can joyfully proclaim our thanks to God that through Jesus Christ our Lord we can serve God instead of ourselves.
Now we can understand what Paul told the young man Timothy: “godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. … I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
May we choose the true freedom, the path of godliness, and seek the eternal riches of life everlasting in the Kingdom when Christ returns, when we will have happiness and joy forevermore.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One