day no. 16,413: Christian liberty is slavery to God

“He who says, ‘free from’ must also assert a specified ‘free to.’ A man cannot turn away from something without simultaneously turning to something. Liberty always assumes an appeal to law… Christian Liberty is nothing other than slavery to God.” — Douglas Wilson, Future Men

Free from must include free to. Liberty is not licentiousness. Lawlessness is not free. First and foremost, it is not free to be lawful. The insatiable need to cast off all restraint is a type of slavery. The need to keep all restraints off is another. Those who insist on going on unhindered are hindered by their insistence.

Slavery is inescapable.

"But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed 

You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody"

— Bob Dylan

You will be mastered.

But why whom and by what?

Romans 6:16-19

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

Only in Christ can we say, "No" to sin and "Yes" to God. Outside of Him, we are stuck with ourselves and in our sins. We cannot say, "No" to them anymore more than we can say, "Yes" to Him. Without His help, we are limited to a particular type of slavery, but by His grace we are free to embrace a new slavery that is the law of liberty.

Galatians 5:1

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.