This is a sermon that was preached on July 4, 2021. This message begins with references to principles of liberty and freedom that our nation was founded upon, then transitions to speak about spiritual freedom that God offers through the power of the Holy Spirit. A video recording of the worship service in which this message was given can be viewed by clicking here.
Written Excerpts:
Introduction:
Today, as you know, is July 4th, the anniversary of our nation’s Declaration of Independence from England. For the message this morning, I felt I should take a few minutes to share some thoughts and quotes regarding our national freedoms, then transition into a review of spiritual freedom taught in God’s Word.
I have often read and heard dozens of quotes by the founding fathers of our nation which undeniably connect our concepts of liberty and freedom to the principles in the Bible. One example is this familiar quote by John Adams: Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. – John Adams
Or this one by William Penn: (Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World) Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants. – William Penn
These are just two examples of the fact that the founding of this nation, its Declaration of Independence and its Constitution were all based on biblical concepts of faith and morality.
The men responsible for the earliest principles etched into our national fabric understood the biblical concepts of inherited depravity as well as human free will. This means they whole-heartedly believed in individual freedom, but they also believed in law and order. Without biblically based boundaries, unfettered freedom of the individual would lead to unrestrained anarchy, and inevitably followed by a new era of slavery.
A few years ago, I read a book by Ann Coulter that I may have mentioned a few times before. The title of the book is, Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America. In her book she does a remarkable job of contrasting the French Revolution and the American Revolution. She also makes pertinent comparisons between the French Revolution and the recent examples of “mob rule” in American society.
The one thing that is so striking about the French Revolution is the fact that in spite of all the fanfare and hype about freedom for the common people of France, their fickle mob mentality led to some of the most extreme cases of brutality. Because of their general lack of godliness and righteousness in the culture, they repeatedly yielded to the most depraved desires of human nature, which ultimately led to the loss of countless lives.
So, what is real freedom? Let us think for a few moments about where
freedom comes from and where it was meant to lead.
I. Real freedom comes
from our Creator.
Several years ago (2013), I gave a sermon with the title, “Liberty Is
God’s Idea.” In that message and in other sermons as well, I have repeatedly emphasized
the fact that freedom was designed by God at creation and is an essential part
of what it means to be a human being formed in the image of God.
(Draper's Book of Quotations for
the Christian World) Without free will, man would not be created "in
the image of God." With it, he has the power to defy God's wishes and to
bring misery on himself and others. – C. S. Lewis
A review of the creation account in Genesis will disclose that God laid down some basic laws or “ground rules” for the very first humans, but He did not coerce them to obey. Their actions reveal the fact that they obviously had the freedom to disobey. That freedom and ability to disobey was granted by the very same Creator who gave the rules.
(From my sermon in 2013) This image of God and this type of freedom [distinguish
us] from the animal kingdom God created.
Some would argue that animals
have liberty and freedom because they “can do anything they want to do.” Well,
that is true to a certain extent. Animals may “do anything they want to do,”
but their “wants” are dictated by instincts; stimulus and response; and what we
might call “basic animal passions [or appetites].”
In fact, sometimes we
describe human beings as “living like animals” when they fail to practice
self-discipline or self-restraint, but continually seek to satisfy every
passion and desire of their fleshly or carnal nature.
Animals are so driven and
“enslaved” by their natural instincts and passions, that it many times gets
them into traps or even killed. An animal does not have the basic ability to
analyze life situations and then restrain its habits and instincts for a longer
better outcome and more enjoyable freedom.
Only people, who are created in
God’s image, have the ability to intentionally forfeit some immediate desire in
order to enjoy a greater freedom in the long-term future.
II. Real freedom includes
real risks.
We understand from the story of creation and the fall of Adam that there was a real risk associated with the offer of freedom. The risks include some of the worst kinds of evils.
I remember reading long ago an answer someone offered regarding the
problem of evil. The writer basically said this: God could have eliminated evil by taking away the free choices of those
who perpetuate evil. But, in order to be completely fair/just, God must then
take away the free choices of everyone else.
The point was this, real/genuine freedom for humanity involves freedom for all or freedom for none. If freedom to do evil is removed, then so is the freedom to do that which is good, wholesome, lovely, and praiseworthy.
(Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World) Free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world… of creatures that worked like machines—would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for his higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. And for that they must be free. – C. S. Lewis
The Bible explains the fact that Adam and Eve’s disobedience led to all kinds of evil. In the initial part of the story (Gen. 3), we read about the guilt, shame, separation, and death that came about as a direct result of their disobedience. In the New Testament (Romans 5), the Apostle Paul describes how that through one man’s disobedience, sin and death passed upon all men.
There was a time when I wondered why God didn’t/couldn’t at least
“limit” the consequences of their disobedience? Why were the “floodgates” of
corruption opened upon the human race?
I don’t know if there is a completely adequate answer to that question,
but this is the answer that came to my mind: The severe consequences of their
disobedience was necessary to demonstrate the dreadfulness of sin.
We humans are often guilty of thinking, “This sin is such a small offense!” “It really isn’t all that bad if I do/say this.” But we must realize that every sin, no matter how small is just as abhorrent as Adam’s decision to eat the fruit in the garden. Every sin requires the death and shed blood of Jesus to cover it and pardon the sinner.
The good news of the gospel is this: Because God knows everything
actual and everything possible, He was not taken by surprise when Adam used his
freedom to disobey God’s command. The Bible tells us the whole plan of
redemption was established before the foundation of the world.
III. Real freedom is
spiritual in nature.
In the beginning of the message today, I shared a couple of quotes from founding fathers to illustrate the connection between political freedom and righteousness. The implication was this: when individuals in society are not interested in pursuing a righteous life in agreement with God’s standards of morality, then freedom will be short-lived. Tyranny is “just around the corner” when lusts and passions are in control rather than righteousness and godliness.
There are numerous references in Scripture that support the truth that
the most common form of slavery and servitude is the slavery to sin and the
desires of the sin nature.
In Romans 7, the Apostle Paul laments the fact that the presence of sin
in his heart causes him to do things he knows are not good, even when he
desires to do what is good.
(Draper's Book of Quotations for
the Christian World) No man is free who is a slave to the flesh. – Lucius
Annaeus Seneca [Stoic]
Galatians 5:13 (NLT2) For
you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use
your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve
one another in love.
John 8:34 (NKJV) Jesus
answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a
slave of sin.
Romans 6:17-18
explains that there are only two possible conditions in the life of a human
being: a servant (slave) to sin or a servant to righteousness.
(Draper's Book of Quotations for
the Christian World) Freedom does not mean I am able to do whatever I want
to do. That's the worst kind of bondage. Freedom means I have been set free to
become all that God wants me to be, to achieve all that God wants me to
achieve, to enjoy all that God wants me to enjoy. – Warren W. Wiersbe
Many people today loudly proclaim their freedom from religious or spiritual laws and blatantly engage in wickedness and immorality. However, they are blind to the fact that they are actually slaves to the sinful nature that was inherited from their parents all the way back to Adam and Eve. It is not only important for us to realize the condition we inherited, but it is essential to learn and understand that the only remedy is salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ.
John 8:36 Therefore if
the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Romans 8 gives us the good news of what is possible through the
presence and power of the Holy Spirit living in every believer.
Conclusion:
We must conclude that in ourselves, we are powerless against sin and inevitably become the servants of sin; living every day to simply fulfill the passions and desires of the flesh. But, when we submit to the grace and power of God, we can be born again, made new creatures and filled with His Spirit.
We are truly free when we submit to the will of God and are filled with
the Spirit of God.
Closing Song: In Times Like These
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