This week’s Truth Keepers for Truth Seekers column is about true freedom and that if one chooses the wrong kind of freedom there will be consequences.
True freedom! That may sound like music to your ears. Depending on your age, environment, family structure, upbringing and education, your first thoughts will vary.
The real young audience might think: “Sounds like fun! I can do and act however I want. “A bit more mature, “I want freedom, but if I choose the wrong kind of freedom there will be consequences”
Adults and older have learned their words and actions have either good or bad consequences.
We are created as beings of free volition meaning free will. So, technically we can choose whatever we think, say or do. Because we are free right?
But is it safe? Why are prisons made? To lock up those who choose to think, say and do whatever they wanted, therefore choose to cause damage to someone’s property or caused hurts, and inflictions and injuries to other human beings, just because they used their freedom the wrong side of the spectrum.
There have been laws in a society since the first laws were instituted by Moses (see your Bible and discover why the 10 commandments were instituted- Laws are based and evolved on those laws ever since). Laws are there to keep order so humanity can live peacefully together. If someone breaks those laws, those people are put aside to get order back for the people living in that certain society so they will be safe again. That is how it should be.
We all have a conscience that is awakened at a certain age, aka as the age of accountability. That is when a human being knows what is right and what is wrong. That can be as young as 4 or 5 or even younger.
Personally, I was only 5. And although my first introduction that there was an eternal being called God who looked after me but also who will take account of my life was minimal, my response was one that helped me ever since, to listen to my conscience. My accountability started from then on as I became aware of my right and wrong, thoughts, words and actions from then on.
What was that response? I was waiting for Him to speak as I kneeled down and tell me whatever He wanted to. I did not know what to expect, just that I had to kneel down in that Divine presence. My father was the one that introduced me to the concept of God and the only way he knew how to do that was to take me to an empty Catholic church. I don’t know if it still like that, but at that time Catholic churches were open all the time, all week in case someone needed them.
As I walked in, kneeled down (as that looked like the only proper response in that place) and was waiting to hear God’s voice, there was silence. After awhile, I took the initiative to speak and said: “Dear God, do with my life whatever you want”. Simple but I am thankful I did because I do believe it set me on the right course ever since leading me to a life of service in His presence, from then onward although I was only 5.
To me, true freedom has always been “the responsibility of taking ownership over my thoughts, words and actions.” I am the one that could choose what to think, what to say and do. Taking ownership means I will also take the responsibility of the outcome of it. For example, the person who breaks something, is also the one who should be replacing it. The one having said something that is not true (AKA as a lie) should be the one to rectify that. (Please, don’t fool yourself or others; a white lie is just as much a lie as a black or half lie) If words caused someone to stumble or be hurt, who should apologise? The one who said it. If a person’s actions caused damage to property or someone’s body by lifting or using their hands or a weapon, legal consequences will be there. You can try to run away, but you can’t run away from your conscience. So if I am that person, I take accountability of it and the consequent outcome of it.
According to modern definition, the authority of conscience is the inherent, internal power an individual has to judge the morality of their own actions and beliefs, acting as a moral compass that directs one to act according to what they perceive as good or right. This authority mandates that individuals are morally obliged to follow their conscience, even when it might be mistaken, though an erroneous conscience can be a result of negligence in its formation. Philosophers like Thomas Aquinas and religious traditions like Catholicism emphasise this inner moral authority, seeing it as a fundamental aspect of human dignity and a source of personal integrity and peace.
What are the characteristics of the conscience's authority?
1. Internal Moral Judgment: Conscience provides an individual's inner moral compass, judging actions and principles as right or wrong.
2. Moral Obligation: There is a moral duty to act in accordance with one's conscience.
3. Final Individuals Standard: In Catholic ethics, conscience serves as the ultimate subjective guide for action, distinct from objective norms like the will of God. That means the guide for someone’s words and actions is their conscience
4. Personal Integrity (Uprightness, truthfulness, honesty, reliability): Acting in line with conscience leads to inner peace and a sense of integrity, while acting against it can cause stress and internal conflict.
My final question to you today is the one that a person asked Charlie Kirk: “If I had only 30 more seconds to live because of some disease or other reason what would you tell me?”
What can one say in 30 seconds? In half a minute that person is gone forever. An honest answer, helping the person to decide where he or she stands that moment was Charlie’s brilliant answer (with a few edits):
“In 30 seconds you will meet eternal judgement or the eternal judge. The way to get bailed out of that is not your moral scorecard, nor all the good stuff you have done.” (The most important question for each reader is not you have a good conscience- which everyone should have anyway- but who rules that conscience)
The only way to get bailed out is if you can answer who is Jesus Christ to you. The answer is not if you believed if Jesus was a historical figure or just a good person but whether or not you repented and you confessed publicly that He is your Lord and Saviour. (and your life shows what you said you believed)
Bless Charlie Kirk. A person of integrity, courage, and living the life he so often defended as the life we were created to live as human beings, couples and families. With standards that would help any society tremendously. His life was short lived but he made an impact not many will have even if living double or triple his age. A life he had to give up for speaking truth because the truth he spoke, was not appreciated but hated.
Being bailed out of what we deserve, by an eternal loving God who at the same time is also the eternal judge over our lives, is called grace, as it is an unmerited favour given to us by a God who wants to bail us out.
None of us can ever reach His standard of Holiness. That is why He provided all the help we can get to live the life we are meant to live now and for infinity. And that is in His presence, now and from then on into that eternity. In the light, far away from darkness through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Is there last minute grace? I think so but why gamble with that, if the knowledge to find out is given today.
The way is there.
Grace is there.
As for me, I took advantage of that when young. I will never regret. His presence has been there ever since and it only gets better.
Try it out.
Till next time and have a great week!
Akhrienuo