Liberty

This year, we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”  Unalienable rights are written in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and they are inherent freedoms every citizen possesses.  

Liberty is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the quality or state of being free: the power to do as one pleases”. The Bible tells us in Galatians 5:13 that we are called to liberty. But Galatians also tells us not to use this liberty for the flesh but for the freedom to serve one another. Just as freedom comes at a cost, liberty comes with responsibilities.  Yes, we are free to do as we please, but we cannot break the laws of man or of God.

During my first job out of high school, I met a new group of people. The company hired employees’ family members to work during the summer. We were all young. The guys I worked with would come in on Monday and brag about their weekend activities. I asked one who claimed to be a Christian whether this didn’t contradict his beliefs. He told me it was fine, and he would go to confession on Sunday. He would work off his weekend of sins by lighting candles, only to repeat the behavior the following weekend. That’s not what liberty is about.  We are called unto liberty, but not liberty to sin, to the flesh. We are called to liberty to freely serve one another, Galatians ​5:13.

In my research, I have studied many religions and denominations. One tells the members that when they sin, they must openly confess their sins to the congregation and be baptized again. All sin needs to be confessed to God, but not to man. Our liberty from the Old Testament law removed the need to go to a Rabbi or Priest for forgiveness. There's no need to make a sacrifice. Christ's sacrifice covers all our sins. Baptism is the outward, visible representation of following Christ into death, burial, and resurrection, and it is necessary only once. It is a symbol of our salvation, but it is not our salvation. Christ died once for all our sins. Our salvation, true salvation, doesn’t end. We do need to repent, but we don’t need to crucify Christ over again.

God is our Father.  He wants us to do what is right.  It hurts God when we sin. How would you feel if your children thought you disowned them every time they did something wrong? God doesn’t disown or leave us just because we sin. He is saddened. But how happy He is when we return to His feet and say we are sorry. There is no need to work or pay anything, just to earnestly ask for His forgiveness.

In Luke 15, Jesus tells 3 parables about how God feels when the lost are returned. The last parable He tells is in verses 11-27, “The Parable of the Lost Son.”  In this parable, the son asks for “liberty.”  He asks for his inheritance early so he can enjoy it while he is young.  His father agrees, and the son takes it, goes off, and wastes it all.  When he has wasted all he has and realizes his “liberty” was not what he had planned, he returns home to ask for forgiveness and simply be allowed to serve as a hired hand in his father’s house.  Instead, his father forgives him and celebrates his return.  

In Galatians 5:1, we are told that Christ has set us free and we should stand firm, not to let ourselves be burdened by the yoke of slavery.  The “yoke of slavery” refers to the burden of sin. When we continue in our earthly sin, we are enslaved.  Romans 6:18 tells us that we have “been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness”.  

When we live as those who are called to the freedom of Christ, we will love our neighbors as ourselves.  We shall want to serve others. We shall not seek the acceptance of the world, but shall seek the glory of God.

So, on the celebration of our nation’s 250th Anniversary, let us remember that liberty comes with a cost.  The cost is that we love and cherish our country and our freedom, and that we honor and obey the laws of our land.  

See you in another 50 years.