Freedom’s Great Responsibility

We rejoice in God and thank Him for the freedoms we have as a nation. As such, we are free to be and do as we wish within the ability of ourselves to provide the means. However, monetary limitations are not the only limitations that need to be firmly in place as a guard against our freedom destroying us. But some would argue that freedom with limits is not freedom at all. To the contrary, freedom without limits is self-destructive. The question is from where these limitations should come and there still be freedom. Some would say that is the place of government. Officials freely elected by a free citizenry can be trusted to impose restrictions as they deem necessary to insure our safety in our freedom; in other words, to protect us from ourselves. I imagine the divine rights of kings might have been inculcated upon Christendom by just such a philosophy. In any case, it proved to be very oppressive. “Power corrupts….”

Our founding fathers truly believed that in the words of Christ were found a basis upon which a people, with minimal outward restrictions, could exercise awesome freedoms without falling into the self-destruction of moral licentiousness. “If you abide in My word you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free,” Jesus said. Free, yes; but we are not cut loose from godly instruction. Free, but limited by that which is within us, not that which is imposed upon us by human devises. A dependence upon God to be the Limiter of our freedoms by His Holy Spirit within us and His word to guide us, is that which enables freedom without self-destruction. Our forefathers, whether Christian, deist, theist, or agnostic, all looked to the Bible as the source of good, moral instruction for society, in spite of their own personal shortcomings.

Freedom’s great responsibility is that a truly free people, as a whole, practice self-control in all areas of life, and not give themselves to every whim of desire. They take as a standard, not the changing mores of sinful man, but the loving instruction of Christ whose word sets them free indeed. Enjoy your freedom. It is God’s good gift to those who follow Him. -- Ben