But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who
forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. –James 1:25
It’s not often that we think of laws as providing freedom; most of the time we think of them being restrictive. When I drive down the highway, I want to be able to drive as fast as I desire. The speed limit restricts me rather than setting me free. While that sounds pretty good, the idea is really deceptive. The truth of the matter is that, if there were no speed limit, people would drive at incredibly unsafe speeds and not only threaten their own safety but mine as well. Suddenly I’m not so free anymore. Sometimes we get confused and think that laws restrict freedom when, in reality, they give freedom. When we look at God’s Word as restrictive rules rather than laws of liberty we really miss out on the point. As the Creator of the world and the natural laws by which the world operates, it makes sense that He would have the greatest understanding on how to live with maximum freedom. His laws aren’t to make us miserable or to deprive us of anything good; they are there so we can experience life as He created it to be experienced. The next time you’re tempted to ignore one of God’s laws, consider why He might have put the law into place; perhaps there’s more to it than you have realized.
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