Monday, September 01, 2008

Free Not Free Good Not Good

You're right, it does sound like I've been reading Calvin.

This is right, though. We are free in the sense that we do what we want to do. Our will is free to follow our reason and our senses, but both of these are corrupted by the fall. If we follow the Apostle Paul - who was carried along by the Holy Spirit, unlike Calvin - then the root sin of humanity is failure to glorify God and give Him thanks (Romans 1:21). We are free to do as we wish, but what we desire in our old nature is not to give God thanks and glorify Him as our Creator, but to credit ourselves and glorify created things. Add to this the catalogue of evil in Romans 3:10-20 and you have a hopeless situation for natural man. So then, free to follow our hearts, but not free to worship God as He requires.

Free, but not free. But are we good? Who denies that man can do good to his fellow man? I am thankful (as is Calvin) for the abundant good that unregenerate man can do, but is this goodness good on the vertical scale of goodness? Jesus said to the Rich Young Man, "there is only one who is good."

If we trust Christ, then true, full freedom and goodness awaits that day when we see Christ face-to-face. For now, we live by faith in the righteousness of Christ credited to our account. We have a measure of freedom and goodness now because Christ is in us and we are in Him.

Free not free, good not good. That's not so complicated after all.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry for your family. I will pray for your family and pray that you find the person or persons responsible for this tragedy. I am a Bridgeway Academy homeschooler parent.