Freedom!

One of my children loves American history, especially events pertaining to the founding of the United States of America. Our founding fathers had a deep sense of what freedom meant. The committee of five (Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston) presented a revised version of Jefferson’s original declaration of independence which also received further revision. The continental congress approved of the statement, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Yet, how do these play out today?

Jefferson’s original statement was, “We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness.” Jefferson certainly thought that freedom involved the preservation of life. Taking it a step further, life was viewed as a right not merely the preservation of it.

While John Adams supported these rights, he warned that our U.S. Constitution with the freedom it promotes was not for everyone when he said, ” Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other”
(Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_adams_391045). Adams knew that Freedom was not license to do whatever one wants.

Freedom, true freedom, finds its source in God. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Jesus spoke of freedom from being a slave to sin (verse 34). True freedom is found in Christ. Jesus said, “If the Son, therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (verse 36). The freedom that Jesus offers is the release from the eternal penalty for sin and the temporal bondage to it here in this life. The freedom Jesus offers is the gift of becoming an eternal citizen of heaven with all of it’s rights and priviliges and a new life here and now with the abilility to live a life full of joy and meaning. Freedom: do you have it and are you enjoying it?