Ambulance or Fence (17)

A common view is that building a fence at the top of the cliff is better than having an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. This is not a biblical position. The state tries to create a fence at the top of the cliff. It puts in place thousands of rules and regulations to prevent people from coming to harm.

A study of the scriptures shows that God takes the opposite approach. He gives us freedom to live as we choose. His scriptures reveal what is right and what is wrong, and warn of the consequence of disobedence, but he never forces sinners to live righteously, if they are unwilling. He will allow them to experience the consequences of their choices, but he will not stop them choosing.

God wants people to obey him, because they love him, not because they are forced to. The most that he will do to make them obey him, is the Holy Spirit’s stirring in their conscience, but he does not prevent us from doing wrong. If people do wander into sin, he has provided remedy through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

This approach is more like a sign at the top of the cliff and an ambulance at the bottom. If people ignore his warnings, he will not prevent them from falling, but if they repent when they fall, he will rescue them. The benefit of this approach is that it encourages people to take responsibility for their lives.

God’s way is better than the fence that politicians like to build. Their problem is that the cliff is so large and so rugged, that it is almost impossible to fence. They generally give up fencing the cliff, and put a fence round the mountain to prevent people going onto the mountain. The enormous range of rules and regulations that they introduce limits human freedom, preventing us from reaching out full potential. God’s way is more risky, but it produces better people.