Thursday, June 3, 2010

A Different Kind of Freedom 243/365

Today's writing prompt from NaBloPoMo is "Define Freedom". Hmmmm rather than a definition I'll just talk about it OK?

Although I'm glad live in the good ol USA, the land of the free, that's not the freedom that means the most to me.

I cherish the freedom from false religious doctrines and superstitions that a study of the Bible has given me. I used to be afraid of hellfire, death, ghosts and so on. Now I know the true condition of the dead as brought out at Ecclesiastes Chapter 9:5-10

 5 For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they anymore have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten. 6 Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they have no portion anymore to time indefinite in anything that has to be done under the sun.
7 Go, eat your food with rejoicing and drink your wine with a good heart, because already the [true] God has found pleasure in your works. 8 On every occasion let your garments prove to be white, and let oil not be lacking upon your head. 9 See life with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life that He has given you under the sun, all the days of your vanity, for that is your portion in life and in your hard work with which you are working hard under the sun. 10 All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in She′ol,(The grave) the place to which you are going.

When I was young I didn't feel good enough to go to heaven (more on that subject another time) but I didn't feel bad enough to deserve eternal torment in a fiery hell

Imagine my relief when I read this...

Is eternal torment of the wicked compatible with God’s personality?
Jer. 7:31: “They [apostate Judeans] have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, in order to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, a thing that I had not commanded and that had not come up into my heart.” (If it never came into God’s heart, surely he does not have and use such a thing on a larger scale.)
Illustration: What would you think of a parent who held his child’s hand over a fire to punish the child for wrongdoing? “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Would he do what no right-minded human parent would do? Certainly not!

This is my freedom. You'll not take it away, ever.

1 comment:

Leslie said...

Well said, sister!