There are plenty of people today who think. Each of us should be free to behave however we choose, to believe whatever we want. As long as we're not harming anyone in the process, it's all okay.
Well, today on Truth for Life we'll learn why this train of thought is an illusion that leads to chaos. Alastair Begg explains where true freedom is actually found, Our study is focussed in Matthew chapter eleven, looking to day at verse twenty nine. I want to make just two observations. And the challenge in tackling things like this, at least as a challenge for me, is that you never really know. which direction to go.
And so you have to choose one.
So, here, the first observation I want to make on the strength of what we've just been considering. Is to recognize that what our contemporary world regards as freedom. is an illusion. And then, secondly, to recognize that the biblical understanding of freedom is paradoxical.
So on the one hand, this is an illusion. and in our understanding of the Scriptures itself it is a paradox. Let's begin with a speech delivered by the late Arthur Leff. of Yale Law School. Unless there is a God.
who is himself goodness and justice. There can be no ultimate basis for law. For if there is no God, Nothing can take his place. No human standard No person No group of people No document. is then immune To challenge.
And if you think about uh the ensuing, well, forty-five years or forty-six years or so. you realize just how prescient his words were. Our views of issues like marriage. Abortion? Euthanasia.
Gender? are tied directly to an understanding of and a conviction about The moral law which is an expression of the moral nature. Of God.
Now, I start there because that has been pushed back against. All the way along the line, certainly over the last fifty years. And the Bible is making it clear that the law is transcendent. That the law is universal. Because every person is created by God, every person is dependent upon God, and every person is responsible.
Too cord.
However, Behind a facade of wisdom, to quote our studies in Romans chapter one. Behind a facade of wisdom, the Bible tells us. That we, because of who and what we are as sinners before God, We have rejected God's wisdom. We have rebelled against God's authority. And we have suppressed The truth.
Suppress the truth. Because as we see in Paul writing to the church in Rome, he says, the fact of the matter is that God's invisible reality is clearly known to people. It's clearly known to people. It is not actually natural to disbelieve in God. To disbelieve in God is to go against what we actually know inside of ourselves.
Because we're aware of the fact. That there is not only that sense of the transcendent reality and beauty of everything, but there is at the same time a moral conscience within us. And we're hard pressed to discover Where it's from. But where are we?
Well, I think it's not difficult to unleash some of the story. Here's the kind of thing that we're privy to on a daily basis: this kind of slogan. Everyone has the right to be who they want to be. and live their life as they choose, without restraints. of any kind.
And then people say you're such a bigot that you wouldn't do that. Why wouldn't you do that? What is the basis for your statement? You see, the fact is, again, and Peter's, not in 1 Peter, but in 2 Peter, when he's speaking to these people. He says, you know, you better be careful because there are these people around who promise you freedom, but they're actually slaves of corruption.
And then listen to this one sentence. For whatever overcomes a person... To that he is enslaved. Whatever overcomes a person, whatever controls a person, Whatever is the epicenter of a person's life, the thing that is his bottom line, the thing that when everything else hits the fan, he's going to stick with this and nothing beyond this and nothing less than this. That is the thing that masters the person.
And without God at the centre, Providing the meaning of our existence, an understandable discovery of what it means even to be human. Inevitably other factors take the place of God.
So if a person's thing is Success. Then he lives for success. She lives to be known as successful. If it is intellect, Then Everybody needs to know. How clever I am and how important it is.
If it is influence or power, and so on. What are those things?
Well, they're actually the things that we can't live without. They're the meanest of me. This is what makes me me. This is what, when I have to choose between this and this and this, I choose this. It's a factor that I can't live without.
And it is that, then, which overrules everything. And so when you can't have that, or when you're unsuccessful in that, then you will be frightened at not being able to live up to it, and you will be angry towards everybody who thwarts your endeavor to have that in control. I know I come to this quote every time, but it's as good as you can find. Dylan was right. You're gonna have to serve somebody.
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord. But you're gonna serve somebody.
Now that is exactly what the Bible is saying. We either serve the living God and find freedom in Him, or we serve substitute gods which can never satisfy and which are self-depleting. I'm glad that we could sing the national anthem. As I said, it's a good anthem. I'm not s sure that our God Save the Queen is anywhere as close in terms of just the melodic framework of it.
But nevertheless, we'll leave that aside. But when it's sung, especially in stadiums, when it comes to the l the land of the free and it goes, free lasts for about a minute and a half. Free. And then that's when everyone starts clapping and shouting and taking their hand off their heart and doing whatever you do. And so, we, this is us, we are the free, we're the free.
How free are we? You see, this is Deuteronomy 6. Versus The winner. of the Oscar for the best original song in twenty thirteen. Explain yourself, says somebody.
Thank you. I will. Deuteronomy 6. Here O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. He is the one living true God.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart. with all your soul. with all your might. We were made by God. To know God to love God.
and to serve God. On the strength of that, These words, says Moses, that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them. diligently to your children. Shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down.
And when you rise. That In contrast, to the Oscar winning song of 2013. Elsa? in frozen. Is it not funny?
You see how c see how skillful the evil one is? Let's have the children sing about it. Elsa and Frozen. is no longer determined to meet the expectations of her parents. or of society.
Instead, she decides to let it go. to express her true identity. No right. No wrong. No rules for her.
It's Disney. It's children. Listen. She's a poster child. for expressive individualism.
She is a classic representation in miniature form. of the egotistical Framework. Of a society that has chosen to live without God. Wants no notion of yoke. Forget the yoke of the king of England.
Forget every yoke, actually. Forget it. There's no reason for this at all. Freedom from El for Elsa. And for those who share her view, can only be found In a world where there are no boundaries at all.
No boundaries. That notion of freedom The absence of all restriction. is not reality. It is an illusion. And that mantra is heard from corporate boards of America.
down to the children's uh nurseries. Everyone should be free to determine their own truth. And to define their own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of life. Where did you get that from? That was an opinion.
In the ruling in Planned Parenthood versus Casey. From the Supreme Court of America, listen. Everyone should be free to determine their own truth. and to define their own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of life. Where did that come from?
There is a higher throne, Then all this world has known. Freedom of choice without constraints, has become almost sacred. in our culture.
So long As you don't harm anyone. That's all. You can do whatever you want to do as long as I don't harm you. Or you don't harm me. The problem with that, of course, goes right back to the beginning.
Because the very idea of freedom presupposes some objective moral law. that presides over all. If there is no natural law, That then determines the framework. then the standards or the ethos of society is the creation of those who rule it. Government of the people, for the people, by the people, whatever it was.
And what the circumstance is this: when at the highest level, at the level of education and law and so on, there is a complete reversal of a commitment to the reality of freedom as found in the living God. When that goes, when there is no moral law that overarches both those who are ruled and those who rule, then the society will decide what it is. And you've got chaos. Because somebody says, I don't think you ought to put your feet on the seat. And the teacher says the teenager says, What's up to you about the feet on the seat?
I'll put my feet wherever I want. I've always thought it was much nicer to put my feet on the seat.
Well, you ought not to do that. Who says ought? Where does odd come from? There is no odd. They're just personal preference.
And after all, I'm not exactly harming you. But I put in my feet. On the seat? Am I? Hm, I think you get it, don't you?
Any decision about what harms somebody. is actually rooted in a specific understanding of human nature. of happiness. And of right. Or of wrong.
Is euthanasia Harmful. To whom? Why would there not be that? If all you have to do is make sure you don't harm the person. You're harming the husband?
who wants to see his wife slip away quietly. In Switzerland? I mentioned last week The way that this runs through the generations. And uh I came across a piece by from McKinsey Company on Gen Z. And here you've got it.
Young people today have come of age in the shadow of climate doom, pandemic lockdowns, fears of economic collapse. Uh they're the digital natives. This particular generation Has a least positive outlook, the highest prevalence of mental illness of any generation. Their pessimism is fueled by growing global unrest. Is there a God who's in control of the universe?
Is there a God who created the heavens and the earth? And he said, seed time and harvest will remain? They won't pass away. Is there that God? No, there is no God apparently.
So, global unrest, wars and disruptions, financial crises. Educational interruptions due to the COVID. feelings of climate anxiety are also widely reported. Many Gen Z people report that they think about the fate of the planet on a daily basis. Why?
Why? Because they have been told. There is no one in charge. You're living in a random universe. What do they need?
They need Jesus. They need Jesus to say, come. Oh. You don't need to be burdened down by this. These are not irrelevant conversations.
But you don't need to walk around carrying this great burden on your back. Come to me. Learn of me. You're weary, you're burdened by this. Come.
And take my yoke. Take my yoke. We need to end. from the negative side to the positive side. When we come to the question of freedom in the Bible, It's paradoxical, isn't it?
Instead of viewing freedom as the absence of restraint, We can understand it. in terms of Jesus' words. Take my yoke upon you. In Jesus, I have no right to behave any way I want, I have no right to believe anything I want. And instead of viewing freedom As freedom from responsibility to God and to others to live for myself.
The Bible says that true freedom is freedom from myself to live for God and for the benefit of others. Instead of freedom belonging to the absence of restrictions, We recognize that true freedom is found in the restrictions. What is a game of golf without the white and the red stakes, without the diameter of the hole, without par? There is no game. What is the point of going out here for ambassadors and having no goalposts, no sidelines?
Just go ahead and have a terrific time. Why do you think that marriage has disintegrated to where it is? for the very same reasons. I can't love Sue. Without understanding the restrictions that it places upon me.
and the restrictions that it places upon her. the freedom that comes As a result of understanding.
Well, someone says, Well, who decides on the restrictions? The same one who gave the invitation. He's the one who presents The obligation A friend gave me um the biography of one of the players uh One of my favorite uh footballers in the world who plays uh uh for Real Madrid, but he's uh Croatian. And I've been reading it this week and thoroughly enjoying it. But here's this idea of restriction.
He's he's talking about What has been involved in his life in preparing himself for? What? turns out to be an an amazing career. He says Um There are sacrifices you have to make. compared to your peers.
such as going to bed early while others go out and have fun with their friends. or the constant training An obligation not to lose your focus. You need to make progress, and this will most certainly not happen if your mind is elsewhere. And if you keep thinking about what your friends are doing, where they are, whether they are having fun. and where the girl you're attracted to is.
He restricts himself. in order that he might enjoy the freedom. If he wants to go and hang around with his friends, He's chosen. that over the other. Jesus gave up his freedom.
Not because he needed it. But in order to set us free. to set us free From the great enslavement. That we might be free from the just judgment of God for our sins, because we will face God. How can you be free from that?
Do you understand why people say, well, of course there is no God. It's much better to believe there is no God than to figure out that you've got a God that you're going to face. Free from guilt. Free from a guilty conscience. Free from meaninglessness.
Free from the prison of self-centeredness. Freed from the freedom. From the shifting sands. of subjectivity. and being contemporary.
Because biblical freedom Under the yoke of Jesus. is paradoxical. To be myself I have to deny myself. To be free I have to give up my freedom. To live.
I have to die to myself. to find myself I have to lose myself. George Matheson, who was a Presbyterian minister. and also blind. Wrote a number of hymns.
One was, Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go. And another one he wrote that we're not going to sing, but I have it on the screen, and I'd like us to say it. I think we might remember it better if we just say it. And so while you're seated there, Here here is the paradox. Uh wonderfully done.
We'll say it together. Make me a captive, Lord. And then I shall be free. Force me to render up my sword. And I shall conquer or be.
I sink in life's alarms. When by myself I stand, Imprison me within thine arms, and strong shall be my hand. My heart is weak and poor. until it masterfind. It has no spring of action sure.
It varies with the wind. It cannot freely move. till thou hast wrought its chain. Enslave it with thy matchless love, And deathless it shall reign. My will is not my own.
till thou hast made it thine. If it would reach a monarch's throne, It must its crown resign. It only stands unbent. amid the clashing strife, Till on thy bosom it has lent. and found in thee.
its life. You're listening to Truth for Life with Alastair Begg. Alastair returns in just a moment to close today with prayer. And speaking of prayer, there are many people who struggle. With prayer, even those who have been believers for decades, in fact, for some.
Prayer consists of simply adding an Amen to the end of the pastor's prayer on Sunday.
Well, if you'd like to experience a deeper relationship with God through your prayers, Be sure to take advantage of the free audiobook we're offering today. It's Alistair's popular book titled Pray Big Learn to Pray Like an Apostle. In the book Pray Big, Alastair helps us learn how to pray more powerfully, more intimately. You'll learn how to expand your prayers beyond immediate personal concerns, things like your health or your job, how to pray for a bigger vision. Alistair offers practical suggestions for how to pray with eternity in mind.
Why to pray? and even what to say when you pray. And of course, as Alastair often likes to do, he offers hymn lyrics as a source for inspiration.
Now during the month of September only you can download the Pray Big audiobook along with the digital study guide for free when you go to truthforlife. org slash pray big. And be sure to tell family and friends about this special offer so that you can together. Learn how to pray big.
Now here's Alastair to close with prayer. O Almighty God Who alone can order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men and women. Grant to your people. that they may love what you command. and desire what you promised.
that so among them any changes of the world, our hearts may be surely fixed, where true joys are to be found. through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Thanks for joining us today. Jesus' invitation for us to come to Him is universal, but it's also very personal.
tomorrow. We'll learn why we can and must. Trust in Jesus. The Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life. Where the Learning is for Living.
