Freedom is not … the epitome of the American Dream.
We are approaching one of our nation’s most important holidays, the 4th of July. This holiday is important because it is considered by many to be our country’s birthday. The day has a focus on independence and freedom. These are core and essential values to the American Way. As we approach America’s birthday, I am heartbroken at the condition of our nation. Christians, we need to pray. We need to pray for wisdom. We need to pray that the spirit of stupor be removed from our nation’s leaders and its people. We need to pray that the church wakes up and starts fulfilling her role. We need to pray that the Holy Spirit will change and challenge the hearts of many. You may be wondering what all this freedom-talk has to do with the Bible. Well, I would say, too much to type in this short devotional. However, I want to focus on the freedom aspect of things.
Freedom is an important aspect of the Christian walk. Freedom is not a gift of American Patriotism or the epitome of the American Dream. Freedom, true freedom, only comes through being set free by Jesus Christ. Even in a “free” nation people are clearly in bondage, and always will be. They are in bondage to their sin, their fear, their insecurities, and many are even in bondage to culture itself. This world, as wonderful and amazing as it is, is filled with snares which snatch away and remove our freedom. From a young age we often find ourselves in bondage to peer pressure, parental pressure, and pressure from the media. I would suggest that many people are in more bondage, while living in the freest nation in the world, than others who live in some of the most oppressive. I say this, because I do not believe that true freedom comes, or can come, from any human institution. True freedom comes from soul-transformation (regeneration) by the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s Holy Word. John 8:31-36 says:
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. “
In this passage Jesus’ audience did not know that they were in bondage. They viewed themselves as free because of their heritage. Jesus helps them to see their error. The truth is that Jesus has come to reveal that we are all held captive to sin. That we are in chains even if we do not see them or know that they are there, holding us captive. Imagine for a moment—I know this is kind of a silly analogy—but imagine for a moment a tiger, born in the zoo. All that tiger knows (or may ever know) is his concrete jungle. The cage feels normal because he was born into it; and he would not know that he is missing something, anything, unless he first got a glimpse of the truth. Jesus was speaking to a group of people that believed they were free, merely because they had been born into what they considered to be freedom. Their heritage gave them a severe case of mistaken identity. The simple truth was that they – were – not – free. And tragically, they did not know it. I believe many people today think and believe the exact same thing—that they are free. All the while, the chains of sin and darkness prevent them from ever being able to walk in true freedom. Jesus’ words teach us the truth about our broken condition, our relationship to our Creator. His words reveal humanity’s true condition. His Word is a light to reveal that which is hidden in darkness. And His Word is a key to unlock the chains around us. The freedom that Jesus brings is not like the freedom the world offers. His freedom lasts through every form of government. His freedom gives strength to overcome our sins no matter what the oppression. His freedom not only sets us free, but releases us from the burdens of our own creation. That is why truth is so important. We cannot shrink back from telling people the truth. We cannot suppress the truth. We cannot alter the truth. It is the truth that sets people free, and that truth is from God’s Word alone.
I would say that the vast majority of people in our nation are not free and never will be free unless the Word of the Lord is preached and taught. I think as we look to the 4th of July, we should be reminded that true freedom does not come from words written in 1776, it comes from words spoken by Jesus almost 2000 years ago. I also believe that it is the churches’ call to set the captive free with the key to freedom, which is God’s Holy Word. Church, it is our call: our call to know the Word, our call to share the Word, our call to follow in Jesus’ footsteps!