Lost in the shrill cries from the Right, religious or otherwise, is the “why” of freedom. Many sites around the Internet want to keep the message as generic as possible so that the collective voice will be as large and influential as possible on the larger discussion. But this site is not about numbers. I want it to thrive of course. I want it to attract as many people as possible. But the people I want it to attract are those with a very specific view of freedom in mind.
So much has been said about the supposed Christian founding of America that I’ve given up trying to discern what was intended from what really happened. Suffice it to say that then, as today, we were populated by fallen men and women. We need to stop looking behind for some lost glory. We need to move forward from where we are to the vision God has granted us in THIS generation. The Bible itself warns in Ecclesiastes 7:10 not to look longingly on days past:
Do not say,
“Why were the former days better than these?”
For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.
Their ideas of freedom are long gone – lost. We have only ourselves to look to. They may be rolling over in their graves, but they are, all of them, still dead. We must carry the flag forward and earn it again for ourselves and for our children. What is freedom then?
Freedom is the ability to love the Lord God with all heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. It is the ability to love your neighbor as yourself. Freedom is the ability to worship God without interference. To be clear, this is the God of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. His name is Jehovah, Yahweh. This is the God revealed by the prophets through fulfilled prophecy. This is the God revealed by Jesus and then the apostles through signs and wonders. This is the God revealed by all of creation so that they are without excuse:
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
– Romans 1
Freedom is the ability to serve others and your community for the glory of God. Freedom is the ability to be at peace with your enemies. (Peace with enemies means established borders, but that is another post)
Freedom is not licentiousness or anarchy. Freedom does not include living selfish lives. Freedom is not hot dogs and apple pie and obesity. Freedom is not fast cars and fast women. Freedom is not pornography. Freedom is not a billion dollar hedge fund on Wall Street. Freedom is not demanding my rights for this, that, and the other. The Bible commands us to believe on Jesus, the Christ and be saved. We were created for such a purpose. All other freedoms pale in comparison to that freedom. Freedom is willful submission to a loving Creator through belief in His Son, Jesus. And our reward of God’s promise of eternal life is sure.
Our issue stems from the outworking of freedom among peoples and nations. If we insist on taking a page from the playbook of the Pilgrims, it should be this: They came to America to worship God in peace. Everything after that is irrelevant to this primary intention. This is what I aspire to do. It is what I hope readers of this site aspire to do.
This is just a reminder to myself and others that for us to live is Christ and to die is gain. I have joy and peace in my heart as I consider these truths given to me from Jesus.
So let the battle come! I will fight for freedom. I will fight for my family. I will fight for my community. But know that the reason for my fighting is the hope of peaceful worship of God on this earth. It’s worth fighting for. It’s worth dying for.
This is Joshua speaking to the people right before they go into the promised land. We too occupy a rich land that we did not fight for. We were born into this freedom and prosperity. Joshua is saying “thus saith the Lord…” from chapter 24:
13 I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’
14 “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
It would be nice if we could emulate the peoples’ response to this resounding speech:
16 So the people answered and said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; 17 for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed. 18 And the Lord drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.”
Amen!