The righteous exercise of agency requires that we reconcile ourselves to the will of God. One of the great ironies of the gospel is that true freedom comes only after submitting to the will of God, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:34-6)