Agency-- the ability to choose between right and wrong. It's the most wonderful gift that He has given us and we have our authority to exercise it however we want. However, whatever we do with it is a choice that can lead to one of two ways: fetterment and freedom.
Even though we have our ability to choose between whatever we want, sweet vs. sour, yes vs. no, good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, to be vs. not to be, God generally wants us to choose what is right-- what can enable us to be happier in the long run. Let's look at a scenario.
Bill is a 25-year-old graduate student. He's a rather outgoing guy who had a ton of friends. Then, one day, during a party, a friend of his brought some drugs. He told Bill that the drug he brought could "kick like a donkey" and make him feel like he's "out of this world--" and then offered some of the stuff to him.*** Hesitant, he declined. Then, his friend, being the friend he is, told Bill that the first sniff would be free-- that because Bill was his friend that he would give him some "so that he could experience happiness at its fullest." Giving into his coos, Bill takes a straw, lays down the desolately pale powder and extracts the thing with a quick inhale from his nostril. Taking to mind what his friend said earlier, Bill experiences life like no other due to the drugs-- for a good couple of hours. Then, he goes unconscious. The next day, he wakes up; dazed and intrigued. "Wow, that felt amazing! Should I do that again?*** I think I'll try that again!" Contacting his friend, he paid, this time, for some of the stuff and snorted it again. And again. And again. "Man, this stuff is crazy! IF I do more, I don't think it'll be good-- I think I should stop. Wait a second. Why isn't this strong enough? Perhaps an upped dosage and then I'll stop."*** Weeks pass. And then months. Bill progressively abandons his studies, he fails his classes, he loses his job, he loses respect from family members, and isolates himself from his friends. Now in great debt and nowhere to live, Bill wanders ceaselessly around the area where he used to live, scrounging for money wherever it may lie-- just to feel couple of hours of euphoria. Nasal cavity rot, appearance disheveled, body and soul torn apart, he lives a homeless and a vagabond, pitied by the world around him.
Now, I've asterisked the time where Bill could have quit right then and there this awful habit. We are all entitled to our ability to exercise how we use our free agency. Bill, if he would have focused not in the short term, but in the longer term, perhaps even eternal term, he would have been saved a LOT of trouble. Each time, he was faced with a yes or no situation. Each time, he gave in to something he knew was evidently wrong. He exercised his free will. God knows that. Unfortunately, Satan knows that too. Just because Satan doesn't have a physical body and has been cast out from heaven, he wants us to be miserable like him. That's why he tempts us to sin. That's why he tempts us to fall away from God. Satan is making a concentrated attack so that our choices (or lack thereof) can lead to us being chained, bound, by his will. If we make choices that he wants us to make, it'll make us suffer more than we should. It isn't a great feeling.
Agency should lead into liberty. Liberty is a privilege given to us by God. He knows that we don't like being forced or coerced to do anything contrary to what we want. This is the principle of life that should govern just about everyone. Mull this thought over. It's simple to put, but rather complicated to think about. Do what your gut tells you-- that's actually the light of Christ.
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