自由是一件你没有的时候会渴望，一旦尝过就再也放不下的东西。有很多原因让人敬畏神和爱神，其之一就是神给人自由作决择。
Freedom is something that you will desire when you don’t have it, and something you can’t give up once you taste it. There are a lot of reasons for us to love and fear God, one of them is God gives people the freedom to pick and choose.
日光之下无新鲜事，历朝历代，不分国界和文化，不分知己或外人，不分权威或外行，打着“为你好”的借口，强迫性向人输出意志决择的例子可能比沙子还多。
There is nothing new under the sun. We can always see someone trying to push his own preference to other people in the name of “for your goodness “. These things happen all the time, no matter in which country or culture. The one being pushy could be a friend, a stranger, a type of authority; or even worse, an ignorant person or an evil man.
“我知道什么对你好，所以由我来替你决定。”—若要这个陈述为公义，第一，这个陈述者必须不怀私心和恶意，能秉持公义；第二，这个陈述者要知道对方的背景、喜好、能力、健康、所缺等等，有全知的能力；第三，这个陈述者有预知未来的能力。
“I know what is good for you, so let me decide for you.” — To make this statement true, first of all, it requires the speaker to be righteous and have no self-interest or evil thoughts; secondly, it requires the speaker to know everything about another person, like family background, preference, skills, health, weakness; third, the speaker must know future.
若世间有这样公义、全知的角色，那必是神；唯有神有资格说“我知道什么对你好”。但既便如此，神也没替人拿主意，他给人自由去选择好的、坏的。若人选择好的，便自己得利；若选择坏的，自己承担后果。
Who can be so righteous and know everything？ Only God. Even though only God is qualified to say “I know what is good for you”, he doesn’t control people’s choices. He allows people to choose good or bad. If people choose good, they gain from it. If they choose bad, they take the consequence.
“我今天呼天唤地向你作见证；我将生、死、祝福、咒诅都摆在你面前，所以你要拣选生命，使你和你的种子都得存活；”— 申命记30:19
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.”— Deuteronomy 30:19
申命记里，神劝告以色列人选择生命、祝福这样美好的事物；换言之，以色列人也可能选择死与咒诅这类自我毁灭的事。神不施以强迫。
God appealed to Israel that they should choose good things like life and blessings; which means Israel can also choose self-destructive things like death and curses. God didn’t control their choices.
“若是你们以侍奉主为恶，今天就可以选择所要侍奉的……至于我和我家，我们必定侍奉主。”—约书亚24:15
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”—Joshua 24:15
约书亚劝告和自己有血缘关系的弟兄侍奉那唯一的真神，而不是外邦人的众神。约书亚是神所拣选的以色列人的领袖。他守住了自家敬畏神的原则，又没有以领袖身份把自己的意愿强施在亲兄弟身上。
Joshua told his brothers that they should serve the only true God instead of the idols of gentiles. Even though he is God’s chosen leader for Israel, Joshua didn’t use his leadership to force his will on his brothers. Joshua himself chose to fear God.
坏的选择会引发坏的后果，像使徒保罗所说：
A bad choice can lead to bad consequences. As Paul said:
“不要被欺骗，神是不能轻慢的。人种的是什么，收的也是什么。‘”—加拉太书6:7
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”—Galatians 6:7
“凡事我都可行，但不都有益处。凡事我都可行，但不都造就人。”—歌林多前书10:23
“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. “— 1 Corinthians 10:23
有些情况下，我们可以察觉一些选择是自我毁灭性质的。若我们因为这种察觉而剥夺别人的选择权，那我们成了什么？—就算结果是好的，也掩盖不了途径是不正义的。正因如此，神才会在圣经里谆谆教导人向善，而不是为人做每个决定。
In some situations, we can know people are making self-destructive choices. If we take away their freedom of choice and force the good end to happen. Guess what? The good end doesn’t justify the bad means. That’s why God patiently appeals to men in the Bible to choose the good; instead of making every choice for men.
人不能做出好的选择，是内心和认知出了问题。取而代之为其做决定，并不能解决其内在问题。改变一个人的内心比改变一个人的行为更难。但人若用自由自发地选择善，这更加难能可贵。因为，这好果结自那好的途径。
It is a heart issue when people can’t make a good choice. Making choices for them doesn’t allow people to learn good from bad. It takes more effort to appeal to someone’s heart than regulate their behavior, but it is a better situation if people have the freedom to choose and they are willing to choose the good. This results in a good end and mean.
读懂圣经 