Freedom and liberty
“Give me liberty or give me death.” No middle ground in this statement. This is attributed to Patrick Henry when he addressed the 2nd Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775. Henry was credited with having swung the balance in convincing the convention to pass a resolution delivering Virginian troops for the revolutionary war. Among the delegates to the convention were future U.S. Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Pretty elite audience.
Our founding fathers were all in. Freedom and liberty were their objectives. From the oppressive tyranny of England’s overreaching government. Might this be our call again as we see so many freedoms being eroded by misguided politicians? Some things just never seem to change. What an incredible privilege I personally have had to be born and lived in this great Republic. Maybe you feel the same.
Broken people
But as great as this nation is, it is occupied and governed by broken people, just like us. As much as many try, the sin nature just simply gets in the way. Things go wrong for one group, so laws get passed to rectify it. Then there is always the next one and so on. So, how can we ever really have true liberty, the freedom to live and function we so dearly hope for? Maybe we are putting our trust and hopes in the wrong place or institution.
As a Christian, you have three key enemies that are working against you. They are: your fallen flesh, the world’s trappings, and Satan’s warfare. All of these war against your deep desire for freedom and peace in your life. They never rest, tempting you all the time. Envy, greed, pride, lust, ego, just to name a few. So, where do you go to escape their constant pursuit of your freedom and happiness? If you have enough money, I guess you can buy numerous homes or a secluded retreat and exit the world. But the only fallacy in that is, you take yourself with you, and Satan has access to you.
Simply put, you are here on earth and you cannot escape, no matter how hard you try, that is, on your own and by your own devices. See, it’s not a physical thing; it’s spiritual. You were created to have an intimate relationship with the Creator God. But from the Garden of Eden until now, that relationship has been severely broken. So, what is the answer to your dilemma? It’s not a what; it is Who!
Abide
‘Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “if you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”’ (Jn. 8.32). What is Jesus saying? That he and the Father have this perfect relationship, and with the Spirit. And this relationship is that for which we are longing. It is what our soul desires. We’re just looking for it in the wrong places. If we are truly abiding in Christ, then we have the liberty, freedom, peace that we so desperately want. Jesus said clearly, “I and My Father are one” (Jn. 10.30).
And Jesus even prayed for us to be one with them. Lean into what he prayed to the Father. “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also might be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (Jn. 17.20,21). All we have to do is put our trust in his prayer, his finished work on the cross and his resurrection. By doing so, we have true freedom that no one can destroy. Not even bad situations that come into our lives. Rejoice!
