Every day we are faced with making and almost endless number of choices. These range from simple ones such as “what will I wear” or “what will I eat” to more complex and difficult ones such as “where will I work” or even “where will I live.” Choices are such an integral part of our nature and life that we take making choices pretty much for granted, that is we feel that we have an inherent right, even a responsibility, to make choices about those things which affect our lives.

However, there are certainly limits to the choices we may make. Our nation and state and even the community in which we live limit our choices. By creating laws for us to live by, they limit our choices in the conduct of our lives, supposedly, for the benefit of us all.

But what about the area of religion? Don’t we have religious freedom? After all, there is separation of church and state. So I am free to choose, right? If we look around us, we certainly see people making many different choices about religion. These range from the choice to do nothing, which most people seem to have made, to attending one of the many different assemblies that gather in the name of religion.

What does the Bible say about choices? Are we free to choose the religion we live by? The answer to this question is not as simple as it many seem. For one thing, while God has a law, He does not have a police force to enforce His law. While on earth, we may choose to obey or to ignore God’s law. It is only after we die that we are held accountable. So for right now, God does allow us freedom of choice.

However, if we are to have any hope and expectation that we will live in heaven when this life is over then, in fact, we do not have any religious freedom. Our only choice is to obey God’s law, the New Testament.

Jesus said to his apostles in Mat 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” Our only choice in religion is to obey all things in God’s law, to do less is to give up the hope of ever being in heaven, a cost that is far too great for anyone to bear. Again Jesus said in Mat 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Yes, God’s law does limit our choices. He tells us when to assemble--first day of the week. He tells us what we may do at the assembly--sing, pray, teach the apostles doctrine, give as we have been prospered, and partake of the Lord’s Supper. And this is just the beginning. If you are not in obedience to these commandments, then you have made the wrong choice. Joshua said in Josh 24:15 “choose you this day whom ye will serve, as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Send comments or questions to the Clintwood Church of Christ, POB 746, Clintwood, Va. 24228 or E-mail me at bryanwa@ntelos.net

Check out our web page at clintwoodchurchofchrist.com