Tag Archives: freedom

Safety and freedom

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As people discuss what went on Friday in Newtown, Connecticut, there’s one aspect that sometimes gets overlooked. One reason that things like this happen in America is something very near and dear to us: freedom.

From 1976 to 1983, Argentina was under a brutal military dictatorship. Thousands of people were killed, many more “disappeared.” When democracy returned to the country in 1983, it wasn’t long until the crime rate soared. Pornography overran the newsstands. Drug activity increased. Some Argentines in the 90s told me that they would prefer a return to the military dictatorship: “At least you were safe.”

One of the safest places I’ve ever visited is Cuba. Civilians don’t carry guns. They don’t even carry knives. Armed police are quite visible, especially in the major cities. Petty crime occurs, but the crime rate for violent crime is quite low.

Would Americans be willing to trade civil liberties for safety? Possibly. We do it at the airport. We willingly submit to searches that would be illegal elsewhere. We put up with bizarre restrictions, all in the name of security.

Another example is the Patriot Act. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, the public was frightened enough to allow the government to give itself broad powers, infringing on rights of privacy and due process. All in the name of safety.

I’m not advocating anything here. Just analyzing. Serious “solutions” to violent social problems would probably require further limitations on personal liberties. The American public will have to decide if such solutions are worth the price.

photo by Michelle Kwajafa

Freedom that’s really worth celebrating

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Happy fifth of JulyHappy July 5 everyone! It’s a great day to celebrate freedom, freedom in Christ. For outside of Christ there is no freedom.

Rex Butts made a great comment on Facebook yesterday:

The truth is that apart from Christ, Americans are as enslaved to the principalities and powers as any other person or group. That is why freedom is only found in Christ.

Yep, that’s how it is. There is no freedom outside of Christ, only unwitting slavery.

If you live in the States, today is a perfect day to talk to people about freedom. Tell them, “If you think what you celebrated yesterday is freedom, wait until you see the real thing!”

For further ideas, read Steve Ridgell’s “Celebrate Independence.”

Freedom

[Here’s an article I posted on the HopeForLife.org blog around Juneteenth; seems appropriate this week as well]
It was 1865. Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston on June 18, along with 1800 troops, and announced that the Civil War was over. On June 19, Granger read a proclamation which stated, in part:

“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.”

President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Yet two and a half years later, there were over a quarter of a million slaves in Texas who were unaware of their new freedom. Celebrations broke out throughout Galveston and across the state as thousands of people discovered what had already been true for some time: they were free.

We are surrounded by slaves today, even in the “land of the free.” In fact, many of the freedoms that are enjoyed in the United States have only served to further enslave men. In his second letter, Peter writes about false teachers, saying: “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.“ (2 Peter 2:19)

We are surrounded by people who are slaves to sin, caught up in patterns of behavior that control their lives: lust, ambition, addictions, greed. They don’t know that freedom is available for the taking! They don’t know that Christ offers freedom from sin. Many of them don’t even know that they are slaves. Yet Christ came and died to offer them freedom.

Our task, therefore, is to embrace the freedom that Christ offers and announce that freedom to others. We need to help people see that slavery to our own desires is still slavery and that God offers a way out of that bondage.

Be free. And tell others about the freedom you’ve found.

Juneteenth and freedom

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This past Saturday made 145 years since the big event. Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, along with 1800 troops, and announced that the Civil War was over. He also read a proclamation which stated, in part: “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.”

President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Yet two and a half years later, there were over a quarter of a million slaves in Texas who were unaware of their new freedom. Celebrations broke out throughout Galveston and across the state as thousands of people discovered what had already been true for some time: they were free.

Paul writes: “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” (Galatians 4:6-7) Not only are we not slaves, but we are sons and heirs. We are no longer the lowest members of the household; we have been exalted to the highest status.

Paul isn’t writing only of slaves to sin, however; he is specifically talking about those who are becoming slaves to legalism. Having been set free from the Law, they are now wanting to submit again to law keeping. Paul goes on to say, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) He is very adamant that the Galatians, who had come to know the freedom that Christ offers, not fall back into the slavery of law. In fact he tells them that their very salvation is in danger: “You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” (Galatians 5:4) If Christians who have been saved by grace start depending on human achievement in their relationship with God, they are returning to a life of slavery.

If, then, we are free from the slavery of law, does that mean we have no responsibilities toward God? Of course, not. In that same chapter of Galatians, Paul writes: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)

When writing to the Romans about their freedom from sin, Paul wrote: “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.” (Romans 6:15-19)

We are free, free to commit ourselves to a life of following God. In Galatians 5, Paul calls it being led by the Spirit. Rather than written rules, we follow the living Word of God. We are slaves to righteousness. We do not live as slaves to sin. We do not live the slavery of law keeping. We live lives of freedom in Christ, slaves to the righteousness of God.

Let us live as free men and declare God’s freedom to all. Let us live as sons of God and teach others to do the same.

{photo from msn.com}

A fence around the Law

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barbed wireThe Jewish Talmud is the record of rabbinic discussions concerning the Law. One of the stated aims of the Talmud was to “build a fence around the Torah.” One Jewish website describes that principle in this way:

For example, the Torah commands us not to work on Shabbat, but a gezeirah commands us not to even handle an implement that you would use to perform prohibited work (such as a pencil, money, a hammer), because someone holding the implement might forget that it was Shabbat and perform prohibited work. (http://www.jewfaq.org/halakhah.htm)

This fence consists of oral and written traditions, not part of the Law itself, but built around the Law. It was because of these traditions that Jesus and the Jewish leaders of his day often found themselves in conflict. Because the Pharisees and Jewish teachers often gave these traditions as much importance as the Law itself. (at least in practice) Jesus refused to follow their traditions, insisting instead on following God’s Law.

We have to be careful about creating a new fence around Scripture, creating traditions that become laws, laws which put us at odds with the teaching of the New Testament. God’s Word needs no fence; the concepts of freedom and grace tear down all manmade safety measures.