If you were to ask a random person why they are no longer a member of a Church the answer will frequently be something like, “There are too many rules and regulations. I don’t like feeling judged because of what I do.” That answer would not make sense to St. Paul. He saw in Jesus libertation, not confinement. For freedom Christ set us free. Paul was noticing that what really binds us is not any external force making us behave a certain way. We are most often bullied by our own compulsions, desires, wants. The freedom Christ won for us enables us to choose how to act with a serene and open heart, and not with any excuse of “that’s just how I am.”
