Patrick Henry is an interesting person to study on and it’s his words I’d like to quote at the start of this blog, considering it also is a thoughtful post since we are in the time when around us the celebration of July 4th gets under way, recognizing the freedom we have in this country. Patrick Henry spoke to the 2nd Virginia Convention in 1775 and the last of his speech went like this : “…The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable — and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come. It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace — but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? 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!”

What is interesting to me as we look around in a society that seeks to unmoor itself from the very history, and documents that have formed this great nation, is that they are only able to do this because the country we live in allows us the freedom to dig our own grave through our choices that come out of free speech, freedom of religion and our democratic republic style of governing. Take a lot of other countries in the world and they will be arrested for rioting, insurrection against the government, or being killed for defying the state religion. However, in the U.S.A the country celebrates diversity, happy to become a melting pot and assimilate the best from different cultures and make it uniquely Anerican. Sadly that has also become a potential area of this countries undoing. In failing to hold to the original intent of the founding documents, and learning the history of what made this country great in its infancy, the resulting chaos we now see is a society that has left the moral compass that once guided this nation.

The same can be aply applied to the church. In living in this “freedom” we have in Christ, and the freedom from the curse of sin and death, we have become complacent. We have actually used our freedom to “..forge the chains that we wear” to quote Charles Dickens’ character Marley in “A Christmas Carol”. We have used our freedom in Christ and, to a lesser extent, our freedom as Americans to fill our lives with things that our enemy will use to destroy us. Political correctness will silence any voice of reason, and put new letters on the barn wall for us to obey, just as Satan will use our own willingness for the flesh to make excuses like “well I’m free in Christ, I can do anything”, or “Don’t judge me, we are all different but free to live for God”. But, by living out both of those thoughts we are actually inviting sin into our lives and failing to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thereby resulting in an eroding of the Christian walk, until we, like the Prodigal Son, wake up one day and realize what we’ve actually lost and need to return to the Father!

Do we have freedom in Christ? Yes! But as Roman’s 6 clearly illustrates we are to not let our freedom in christ and from the law to become a source of us then sinning! That wisdom is also expressed in Galations 5:13 to the end of the chapter. To not use our freedom to sin, and instead put off the works of the flesh and desire the gifts of the Spirit. I only quoted those references because it is such a rich study to do on our own. Read Roman’s 6, and Galatians 5 on your own time to get a better understanding of what our freedom in Christ should actually be used for. And you begin to see its not just a way of saying “I don’t need rules!” But much deeper.

This week’s blog isn’t much, and it’s only because it’s a little of my musings as we take a day to honor the freedom we have as humans in America, but has caused me to think more seriously about the freedom I have in Christ. And just like Benjamin Franklin was asked after the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, “well Dr. Franklin what have we got, a monarchy or a republic?” To which he replied “A republic if you can keep it.” That republic has fast been eroding for over 90 years and is slipping away from its original idea. The same can so easily happen in our Christian life if we do not “walk circumspectly” and pay attention to the freedom we have so graciously been given when we accept Jesus as our saviour and renounce our sins and live for Him. Otherwise, we might just find ourselves like Titus 1:16 and be blind! Another passage that parallels this is 2 Peter 1:1-12, which shows we need to be studying, applying and building on the Word of God. Otherwise we will, like Franklin warned of the country, won’t be able to keep what we have. Have a blessed day, and hopefully we will start back into some history next week!