Freedom must be given, not taken,...for we are a creation of the One God.
Christians believe that God gave man "free will". Mankind believes that it has free will.
But the One Creator never gave man the "freedom" to do one's own will.
Freedom must be given...for we are a creation of the One God...all belongs to Him, all exists because of Him, all is under His authority.
He is Lord and Master....for He gave us our existence.
Are you able to drive a car?
I will assume for this exercise that you do.
...You are able to drive a car? YES....& you have the given freedom (from gov't) to also drive within the speed limit...for this is good and there is no judgement & penalty when you do so.
...You are able to drive a car? YES...but you do not have the freedom to drive past the speed limit...for if you do you not only will suffer the consequence of a speeding ticket but you also disrespect and endanger the safety of others...for speed driving is dangerous and is forbidden.
The One Creator made man with the ability to choose....and He said (in the garden) that man may freely take (choose) of any of the trees ( GOOD TREES) that He created in the garden.....for any of these choices are good for man and for his neighbor....for any of these trees were declared by God's Will to be Good.
....The One Creator also said to man ..."I command you not to take of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for if you do...you will die.".....Man is not free to drive faster than the speed limit...he is not free to establish / justify for one's self-interest / desire that it is "good" to drive faster than the speed limit...he was not free to establish / justify what is "good and evil" in his own eyes....for this self-justifying way, this way that desires to serve and magnify oneself (XES), leads to "sin" at the expense of others, of God's creation.
Man has been deceived to believe and choose that this disobedience in the eyes of the One Creator is "freedom". Today this disobedience has been relabeled and glorified by man to be the way of "freedom of self-rights", human rights, "free will"....declaring that it is RIGHT (a right) to be free (without punishment) to worship ANY 'god'....but this is blasphemy and "sin" for there is Only One Creator.
The Lord Jesus Christ said the we are to worship Only the One Lord God and Him Alone, His Will Alone to serve in obedience and love.
...for His last words on the Mt of Olives were..."not my will but Yours be done"...to be done by man.
Soon, the Lord Jesus Christ will return to rule the earth in power according to and in obedience to the Will of YWHW, and NOT according to man's first love for "his free will".
John Stefanyszyn
...a bondman of the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the One and Only Creator