Freedom

I’ve got to tell you, I’m really getting to the point where I am forcing myself to double check everything I read and hear. Looking for some additional interesting material about the Declaration of Independence I simply typed in the browser search box “...years since declaration of independence signed” and the first on the list of articles prominently displays “239 years...” Really? Unless I’m in some sort of time warp – 2019 minus 1776 equals 243 years. The article was written by a George Winston (warhistoryonline.com) in 2015 and listed in Google as the number one reference article. Seriously? Nobody has written any kind of article in four years? Maybe the ignorance of the country has actually caught up with us. Even the first statement in Mr. Winston’s writing says: “The US Declaration of Independence was the document that saw the United States break away from rule of the British Government and monarchy. This year (2015) it is 239 years since the declaration was signed and brought in to govern the United States.” The Declaration of Independence is simply a certificate of divorce from King George III signed by 56 courageous representatives for the people of the Thirteen Colonies declaring themselves to be an independent state among the states of the world. It was never drafted to govern a country. The Continental Congress went on to form our government and eventually write the US Constitution which governs the country to this day. But, for the lack of intelligent courageous persons to stand up and write a certificate of divorce from Satan, who is gaining the upper hand in our society every day, I fear this country is once again going to fall under the control of evil tyranny and become a worldly disgrace. God help US!

[1 Peter 2:13-17] We have heard the cry for freedom for many generations. The children of Israel cried out for deliverance from the Egyptians, and all through history men have fought to be free. Many have given their life to be free from the enslavement of other men. Our own nation has heard the rallying cry for freedom. We have fought war after war in which hundreds of thousands of young Americans have lost their life in order to preserve freedom. But all too often, while man was fighting for freedom from bondage inflicted by his fellow man, he was becoming enslaved to Satan. What is enslavement to Satan? Those who give into the “lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16) are under the power of Satan – enslaved to sin. “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want” (Galatians 5:13-17). We enjoy true freedom only in Christ when we obey the gospel plan of salvation: hear(Romans 10:17); believe (Hebrews 11:6); repent (Acts 17:30); confess (Romans 10:8-10) and are baptized (Acts 2:38). When we obey from the heart God forgives us our sins, and the blood of Christ continues to cleanse us as long as we abide in Him (1 John 1:7). Freedom from the oppression of man is indeed a wonderful blessing, but freedom of the soul from Satan’s power is the most important freedom we will ever experience. Real freedom is found in Jesus Christ our Lord. “...Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).