A famous man once said, “Give me liberty or give me death!” That declaration has been the hearts cry of every American since that day. However, what is liberty to a Christian? And why should we also take up this battle cry?
First let me shock you with a statement. Liberty is not synonymous with ‘I get to do whatever I want without anyone telling me what to do”. Now, I know, that most people think that is what liberty means. In fact, however, that statement is really an expression of anomia; lawlessness. To say, “I have liberty” is not to say that I am free of law; whether it be man’s law or God’s law. To claim to be FREE is not the same as saying, “and every man did what was right in his own eyes”. Scripture attributes that thought to evil men. Liberty IS freedom, but it is not a freedom from rules, authority, headship, leadership, human officials, or government structures (whether church based or theocratically based or politically based.)
When the famous cry, quoted above, was being uttered, it was being spoken in defiance of OPPRESSION! Rulership that has GONE TO FAR puts the people of the realm into BONDAGE. When laws, ideologies, theologies, philosophies, policies, political maneuverings, and manipulations over the peoples (who ARE subjects) goes to far THEN it is time to cry for liberty.
AND GOD UNDERSTANDS THAT HEARTS CRY! When Isreal was oppressed in Egypt, God said, “Let my people GO!”. When Israel ended up in bondage to heathen nations — even when it was their own fault for turning against God in sin — God sent judges to SET HIS PEOPLE FREE. God is in the setting people at LIBERTY business. He really does not care HOW you ended up in bondage to a “foreign” power; He wants you to not be oppressed.
Jesus came to Israel on the wings of the Spirit of God, and with the calling of God, and with the anointing of God. His mandate? SET THE CAPTIVES FREE! His methodology? CAST OUT DEVILS! His teaching? BEWARE THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES — who had become the oppressors (both spiritually and governmentally) over the common Israelite. His overall ministry, and ultimate death produced, what? LIBERTY and eternal life.
Yet, we are still BOUND to His Word! And we are still SERVANTS of the Most High. We are still to be disciples who sit at the feet of the MASTER. We are citizens of a kingdom and subject to a King.
We have been set at liberty from: SIN, SATAN, SICKNESS, AND OUR OWN STUPIDITY.
We have been given TRUTH in place of LIES; love in place of fear; heaven in place of hell; pardon in place of condemnation. The Holy Bible, written by our LIBERATOR, has clearly explained the conditions of our RELEASE. We are NOT NOT NOT criminals set on parole — as some evangelical/orthodox teachings try to suggest. We are P.O.W.s who have been rescued from the oppressive, demonically influenced, tyrants of the dictatorial rulership of NATURAL MAN! The flesh, which was directed by the demon wizards behind the curtain, has had it’s fingers broken; its weapons thrown to the ground; its chords cast asunder; it’s wizard slain!
Our battle cry is indeed GIVE ME LIBERTY! But OUR afterthought is AND GIVE ME LIFE!!!
Original Copyright: © Anthony J. Massotti Th.M. 12/3/2000