“If the Son sets you free,
you are truly free.”
John 8:36 NLT
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Frances Scott Key witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812. Two years later he wrote “The Star Spangled Banner.” By congressional resolution and signature by President Herbert Hoover it became our National Anthem in 1931. Though we usually only sing the first stanza, it has four – each ending with “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!” In 1832 Samuel Francis Smith wrote “My Country, 'Tis of Thee” commonly referred to as “America.” Though we normally only sing stanzas 1, 3-4 it has eight. Freedom and liberty are common themes in our patriotic songs. Liberty - referring to being free from foreign control, and having the ability to govern ourselves.
Freedom was so highly valued by our forefathers that the First Amendment to the United States Constitution (enacted in 1791) addressed freedom of religion, speech, and the press, as well as the right to assemble and petition the government.
In our time some of those freedoms are being threatened. Special rights groups are attempting to pass laws which could deny Christians the freedom of publicly declaring their convictions which are deemed politically incorrect. Some are claiming freedoms and rights that end up denying the freedoms and rights of others. If this trend continues it could get downright scary.
However, the entire human race has always, and is now faced with a “freedom issue” which is more fundamental than any freedom which can be granted or denied by any civil government. The most far reaching, “freedom issue” is spiritual and has eternal consequences. When the first couple disobeyed God in Eden, they brought all humans under Satan’s rule – resulting in immediate spiritual death and eventual physical death for everyone. No military power is capable of overthrowing Satan’s rule of this world, nor is there anything we can do to free ourselves from Satan’s control. Only the sinless Son of God was able to break Satan’s’ rule over us by dying in our place and rising again. Only the risen Christ can set us free. Free not only from the consequences of sin, but also free to do the will of God. By faith in Him we are truly free no matter under what civil government we live.
Listen to: HE SET ME FREE - Gaither Homecoming
