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Liberty
July 2, 2011

It is in the Declaration of Independence of the United States that we find a well-known sentence. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The founding fathers knew that our rights come from God and begin with the very life that we have. They also knew that these rights lead us to pursue that which brings us happiness. Beyond the essence of life, having lived through an oppressive government, they knew that the pursuit of happiness begins with liberty. It was Patrick Henry who said, "Give me liberty or give me death." And for Christians, these are our choices today. If we ignore liberty, we choose death. Liberty is not freedom from the law, because even in a country like the United States that recognizes the Devine gift of liberty for all mankind there are laws that must be obeyed. We are, however, free from an oppressive government. There are many verses that discuss liberty and the role of liberty in the life of Christians. James shows that those who enjoy liberty cannot forget obligations and must continue to fulfill them.

James 1:25
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Peter provided more teaching and shows that our liberty is to be used for good in a non-malicious manner when teaching non-believers about God.

1 Peter 2:15-16
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

Paul knew that the presence of the Holy Spirit is sufficient to provide for liberty of the person.

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

The concept of liberty is not original to the New Testament writings. Liberty was proclaimed for the Jubilee Year in Biblical Israel on the Day of Atonement.

Leviticus 25:9-10
Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

The Christian Law of Liberty is to free us from the burdens of the flesh. It does not give us a reason to live a sensual life; rather it gives us a reason to live beyond the body. The Holy Spirit gives us reason to increase spiritual fruit and minimize the pulls of the flesh, to do good for others with no thought of repayment. This is what Pail wrote of in Galatians.

Galatians 5:1-26
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased. I would they were even cut off which trouble you. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

For those celebrating liberty and independence in the United States, let us be reminded that liberty is a right given by God so that we may become spiritually perfect.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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