And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;  but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."   (Gen 2:16-17)

Freedom is on my mind as we enter this new year.  Freedom for right choices.  God’s command to the first humans was one identifying a free path.   They were free to eat from any tree---except one.   There was an abundance of life with the free path, a road of death and destruction with the limited alternative.   

Kristi and I were having a wonderful conversation in the car recently and I ended up getting on the turnpike going west instead of east. We wanted to head home but ended up going further away from home.   It was the wrong choice, and the path I chose was headed toward the wrong destination.   Destination is determined by the path we choose.  And even a passive choice has consequences. 

The great thing about the turnpike is that fewer exits means less merging traffic.   The bad thing about the turnpike is that fewer exits means the challenge of getting off.   And you have to pay for it.   We had to go over 30 miles to find an exit ramp.

It reminded me of salvation unto freedom.   Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and His salvation is a free gift to be received.  We can’t work for it or pay for it, and it would be an insult to God if we tried to earn something He wants to give us.   Works for salvation and a legalistic approach to faith is a tollroad  which is difficult to get off of.  And, by the way, it takes you the wrong direction.

May your journey into this new year be full of freedom in Christ……the righteous direction, toward home.