Freedom means different things in different religious traditions. In Christianity, freedom is considered the opposite of bondage. The Christian notion of freedom is tied to righteousness or morality; whereas the notion of bondage is tied to sin. The relationship between sin and bondage is a common teaching in the Christian New Testament. In John 8:34, Jesus says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, anyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” 2 Peter 2:9...
Freedom means different things in different religious traditions. In Christianity, freedom is considered the opposite of bondage. The Christian notion of freedom is tied to righteousness or morality; whereas the notion of bondage is tied to sin. The relationship between sin and bondage is a common teaching in the Christian New Testament. In John 8:34, Jesus says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, anyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” 2 Peter 2:9 states, of those who commit corrupt acts: “[they] themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.” Freedom, in this view, is the state of not being controlled by one’s base desires, of not being dragged down by unwholesome (sinful) acts.
There is a denominational split within Christianity about how freedom is achieved. Some denominations assert that freedom is a state that is earned by pious works and/or upright moral behavior. This means that faith, charity, and morality can lead to a state of freedom. Other denominations (notably Calvinism) maintain that freedom -- that is, freedom from the bondage of sin -- is a state that God bestows upon believers out of mercy. In this view, freedom is tied to grace. It cannot be earned or achieved through effort, it can only be bestowed by God. Thus, Christians sometimes speak of being “saved by grace,” as opposed to, say, good works, or pious effort.
No comments:
Post a Comment