Freedom!
One of the most memorable sayings of Jesus is found in John 8:32: "...you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32). As our Creator & Maker, Jesus understood that at the core of every human is the desire to be free: Free from sin, free from death, free from suffering, and free to make my own choices.
Alfred Wilder-Smith characterize this freedom as "God's great gamble." He noted that God has granted us "free-will," knowing that it gives us the sovereign power to say "No" to His Will and His Truth. We are free to receive Him or reject Him; obey Him or rebel against Him.
Why would God do this? Why would He take such a risk? Only when we are free to say "No," does our "Yes" become meaningful. To choose God's love, when there are so many ways to reject it, makes our acceptance real and sacred. As Jesus explained in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will obey what I command". If you consistently choose not to obey His commands, it is only because you do not love Him, despite what you share on Facebook.
It is this same sense of biblical freedom that informed our Founding Fathers. When they wrote our nation's Founding Documents: The Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and Constitution; they premised them upon freedom & rights, given by God, not by man and/or governments. That is why they referred to them as The Laws of Nature and of Nature's God. These Laws guaranteed inalienable freedom & rights: That is, they are absolute, unchallengeable, unassailable, & sacrosanct; (too important and valuable to be interfered with), because they are given by God, not granted by governments. They are Rights, not Privileges; freedoms for which we do not have to ask permission.
Additionally, they are inherent, and therefore cannot be "justifiably" taken away. To do so would be an "injustice." Of course, that does not mean that an oppressor or tyrant is unable to steal or suppress those rights; but to do so is both criminal and egregious; a sin that provokes the judgment of God on both men and nations.
This understanding of both the rights of men, and the limits of government, is foundational to our nations legal system. That's why our Founders clearly state that these truths were...
...self-evident, and that Governments are instituted to secure these rights, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, and that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new Government... that will respect those freedoms.
At the top of the list of Rights that cannot be legally abridged in any way, is establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble... This is followed by the right to keep and bear arms.
Yet, despite the clarity of our Founding Documents, the last several decades has seen a steady erosion of these rights & freedoms by the government. What is more disturbing is that the governed appear to be OK with this abridgment. Apparently, they don't understand the consequences. As Paul cautioned, A little leaven leavens the whole lump. (Gal. 5:9); and David warned...If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3). No government has ever willingly restored a right or freedom once it has been usurped.
Writer and philosopher Ayn Rand described what is happening in America as the Ultimate Inversion: "When the government is free to do anything it pleases, while her citizens may act only by permission... which sets the stage of rule by brute force.
Abuse of power by political elites has become so commonplace, that most expect nothing less. In fact, conformity has become more important than morality or legality. Years ago, Soviet dissident, Alexander Solzhenitsyn noted in a paper entitled, ‘A World Split Apart’, "...maybe the most striking feature which an outside observer notices in the West... is a decline in courage... from ancient times decline in courage has been considered the beginning of the end?"
What is far more troubling to me, is the lack of courage on the part of Christians. Many are confused. We are called to honor, submit and love those who are in power, even when they persecute us, cancel us, close our churches, and seek to control how we worship. But does that mean that we should say nothing in protest?
At the beginning Covid, many leading Evangelical leaders counseled Christians to submit to lockdowns and vaccines as an act of loving our neighbors, honoring the king, and being a good witness. What was never mentioned is that Christian's are also called to speak out when we see injustice. The ancient Prophets rebuked the Kings when they behaved badly, and often suffered for it. John the Baptist publicly, loudly and repeatedly called Herod Antipas an adulterer (and lost his head for it). Jesus publicly rebuked the Jewish leaders, calling them snakes, vipers, hypocrites, and whited sepulchers. The Apostles openly defied the Sanhedrin's command to no longer preach or meet publicly, preferring to "obey God rather than man." Paul refused to stop preaching despite repeated arrests, beatings, and imprisonments. By Roman standards, he was breaking the law.
And yet, many feel it is wrong, judgmental & unloving to call out the lies, misinformation and immoral actions that continuously flows like raw moral sewage from the current seats of government. They seem unable to distinguish between what is legal and what is moral. To know the truth, and yet fail to speak it, may be the greatest failure of all.
Mark Mittleberg, in Contagious Faith puts it well: "What if instead of quietly clinging to our relationship with Christ and succumbing to the idea that faith should be private, we realized that faith is for sharing? That Jesus came not just for me and you, but to be the Savior of the world?"
Many argue that we need to show our love before we can speak of God's love. They quote St. Francis of Assisi, who supposedly said, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words." That sounds wise, yet it's unbiblical. Scripture says just the opposite: How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? (Romans 10:14). As Ed Stetzer pointed out, "That’s kind of like saying feed the hungry at all times and when necessary, use food.” People desperately need the food of Truth. They need the conviction of the Holy Spirit that comes through the preaching and teaching of God Word of Truth. Now is not the time to be silent.