Children’s Institute Series PART 6: FREEDOM (Inspired by the IBLP Children’s Institute Curriculum)

      Freedom has been the great search of civilizations throughout the centuries. National independence, personal rights, and liberty for all have been and are being fought for globally, especially in the western world. The desire for freedom drives a person to participate in civil rights movements, wars for independence, and street demonstrations. But I believe that we are fighting for freedom so much and in such a way that we are in danger of putting ourselves into bondage.

      What kind of freedom are people fighting for? Two types of freedom are external freedom and internal freedom. Most mentions of freedom refer to external freedom (i.e. liberation from confinements or rules). In fact, there are hardly any big talks about internal freedom (i.e. liberation from depression or guilt). Os Guinness, an English author, stated that there are also negative freedom and positive freedom. Negative freedom is freedom from: freedom from government, from laws, and from restrictions. Positive freedom is freedom for, and freedom to be. Os Guinness pointed out that we have focussed so much on freedom from that we have hardly thought about freedom for, and therein lies the problem, as will be explained in the remainder of the post.

      True freedom requires some form of restraint. It has a framework or a boundary. And what is the best kind of restraint? The best restraint is self-restraint. Self-restraint stems from obedience and, ultimately, faith. Faith in what? Faith in the most high God, who has originally given us the gift of freedom.

      Movements for freedom have been rampant. But we have primarily been fighting for external freedom, negative freedom, and total, boundless freedom. And that is how we, in our attempt to gain liberty, have placed ourselves in danger of falling into a bondage and captivity we have not thought of: internal bondage. Without restraints, we would fall into a destructive lifestyle of sin. Without restraints, civilizations would fall into disorder. Without restraints, and without determining what we are fighting for freedom for, we would lose our course in life, just as a car would drift off-course without a defined path. What we must remember is that the freedom Christ gives us involves walking with Him, surrendering to Him, and living in accordance to the guidelines He has set for us, because true freedom is not the right to do what you want, but the power to do what you ought.

Shouts for liberty fill the air,
Colourful flags in the wind flew;
Help me, Lord, to remember that
True freedom comes from You.

Blessings,
Nathanael Chong