What LIBERTY Really Is This 4th Of July …
Patrick Henry was a great statesman and a great speaker. He was also a great patriot during the infancy of this nation. As a lawyer, he defended the character under which the colonies were founded in America. He resisted the “Stamp Act” with the words: “Caesar had his Brutus; Charles the First, his Cromwell–and George the Third may profit from their example. If this be treason, make the most of it.”
His most famous speech, though, was before the Virginia Assembly in 1775, when British troops were advancing to enforce King George’s rule on Virginia. At the conclusion of one of the most fiery speeches ever delivered, Patrick Henry cried, “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” And the fire of freedom was lit that still burns in this great nation.
The Statue of Liberty stands across from the Island of Manhattan in New York. Soldiers, on their return from overseas, often speak in awe of the feelings they had as they sailed into the harbor and viewed the “Torch of Freedom” in Lady Liberty’s hand. To the Christian, the Statue of Liberty and the Cross of Jesus Christ have kindred meanings. Both symbolize the highest and noblest in freedom and liberty. Both stand as beautiful and glorious ensigns of a liberated people.
Jesus came into our world on a mission of liberty. He said …
Luke 4:18
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Specifically, the Bible teaches that there are at least three oppressions from which Jesus came to liberate us. The Bible says, “In the past, the law held us like prisoners, but our old selves died, and we were made free from the law. So now we serve God in a new way with the Spirit, and not in the old way with written rules.”
Romans 7:6
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
The Old Testament law was a system of rules and regulation that only served to condemn us, but Jesus “canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross.”
Colossians 2:14
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
The Bible also says, “And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”
Romans 8:2
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Because Jesus has given us his Spirit, sin no longer has any power over us and neither does death.
This country was founded by people who trusted more in the liberty found in Jesus than in the liberty granted even by our own Constitution. What we often forget is that in declaring their independence from England, our forefathers made an equally strong declaration of dependence upon Almighty God. The closing words of their Declaration solemnly states: “With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” It is important that we remember this very basic declaration of their dependence, because the United States today is rapidly forgetting the God of our fathers, the God who gave this nation its birth and its greatness—the only source of true liberty.
"Paths Of Worship" 