Some folks would love to espouse how free they are. They are "free thinkers," may enjoy "free love," and don't want to sacrifice the "freedom" of not having to answer to anyone or any authority like the bible, or some sort of biblical accountability structure like elders. They believe they are completely free.
However, as our friend Bob Dylan sang, "You gotta serve somebody." We will always serve someone: ourselves, others approval, or God. So we will be a servant to someone. The question is who will we serve? Someone who has given himself for us (Gal 2:20) or someone selfish like ourselves?
I want to illustrate that folks claiming to so free really belie such freedom and show they are instead enslaved to their own desires.
In this video, you will see Connar leave one area of play only to go to another area to knock down a "tower" of cups. He HAS to do this. Every time he sees us set up cups, he HAS to come and knock them down. Now he does choose to do so. There is nothing outside him that makes him come to such cups. He is not coerced or even persuaded. He just sees them and HAS to act.
But is he really free? I would say he is responsible for his own choice to come. But if he HAS to come to the cups (this is the only choice he has ever made and will continue to make until something greater captures his heart), is he not in bondage to his own desires and will? I'm just borrowing from Martin Luther's terminology.
So he is free in some sense, but also a slave in another sense. I think most people who would say they are free are really just a slave to their own desires and trapped in bondage to their own will.
It will take SOMEONE outside to come in and do something in their hearts in order to break this bondage. Then they will inevitably freely choose Christ, because they can see how wonderful He is. That's what some folks have called "Irresistible Grace."
It is not just a "didactic" video. It is quite a cute one, if I do say so myself.
4 comments:
What an adorable object lesson!
Chris,
Thank you so much. I like object lessons, because that's how I think. It is interesting that object lessons are used in children's sermons, but rarely anywhere else.
I'm not proposing regularly bringing large objects to the pulpit, but I wonder if we shouldn't use them more. After all, the prophets used them like crazy!
Thanks again!
What a fabulous object lesson. Because of our sinful nature we will always choose sin; we cannot do otherwise until God in His grace and mercy enables us to hear the call of His spirit and in turn choose life. How cool is that! G
P.S. What a happy little guy Connar is.
Gail,
Thanks! And yep, Connar is a happy little guy. Until you try to change his clothes. Besides that, he's all smiles.
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