What we believe must have some impact on what we do. Outside the church, this is called "talking the talk and walking the walk." While our heavenly Father frees us to work for NASA as a physicist, take up accounting, or discover a new vaccine, we are not free to build our own nuclear bomb, cheat people of their money, or abuse human medical subjects, not even to further some putative greater good. We must remain responsible not only to avoid harming others, but we should use the earthly gifts that God gives us to serve and benefit our fellow humans. Our freedom in the things of this world does not relieve us of the responsibility to use our freedom in a way that helps rather than hurts. We should not accept the modern scientistic myth that whatever we have the power to do, we should be able to do. An "is" does not make an "ought."

While we are free in things that are neither commanded nor forbidden by God, such as those things listed above, that is not an absolute freedom. One may enter into marriage, which is a gift to the body and the community, by freely choosing this spouse or that, but within that freedom, we may not use marriage as a cloak for criminal or immoral deeds. For example, marriage does not give us the right to expect a spouse to condone immoral behaviors, such as physical abuse or criminal acts.

My children know what our family standards are. It's not like we can make a list of the Murray family "non-negotiables." But our whole family is clear on what is expected of its members to uphold the honor of our family in the community and the glory of God in the church. My children know that our family reputation is important, and while they push the envelope once in a while, I seldom have to explain why certain acts or behaviors would not be acceptable in our family. In other words, there is a relationship between the family "creed" and what our family does.

The same is true of our activities in the Christian church. The moral and confessional implications of what we believe still need to be taken into account. Often people argue that worship style has no relationship to what we believe. This is arrant nonsense. Some years ago, when my oldest daughter came downstairs dressed for church in a "style" that was not appropriate to our family standard, no discussion about it was necessary. I simply turned her around, she went back to her room and returned with clothing that indicated what our family thought about morality. Style does mean things; otherwise, we would not pay any attention to style at all. If style had no meaning, there would be no fashion magazines.