What is the Burden of Freedom?

Romans 8:6-7 (King James Version) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. [7] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Romans 8:6-7 (New Century Version)  If people's thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is death. But if their thinking is controlled by the Spirit, There is life and peace. 7 When people's thinking is controlled by the sinful self, They are against God, because they refuse to obey God's law and really are not even able to obey God's law.

Claiming that "we are living in the age of grace." Believers that subscribe to this idea maintain that God is not concerned with the way we live. That is a misrepresentation of what grace really is. Grace isn't a blank check giving us the freedom to live any way we desire. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He freed us from bondage of sin and its stranglehold on our lives. Instead of being captive to our flesh, we now have the power to live righteously.

Living without a set of standards is not freedom. True freedom comes only when we live according to Scriptural principles. When we step outside of that to live in sin, we're burdened down by guilt, depression, and the consequences of our behavior.

Inside the borders of God's will exists peace of mind, freedom, and a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. Sin, however brings with it the shackles of bondage.

Every day we must make the decision how we are going to live. Jesus said in Luke 9:23 that daily we must, "take up our cross" to follow Him.

Don't be fooled by a false interpretation of God's grace. God does care about the way we live. God's ways are designed for us to have a close and abiding relationship with Him.

2 Peter 2:20 (HCSB) ²⁰  For if, having escaped the world’s impurity through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in these things and defeated, the last state is worse for them than the first. 

Grace always gives whereas sin always takes away.  - - Martin Lloyd-Jones