Saturday, July 4, 2009

July 4, 2009

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36

Happy Independence Day!

As our great nation celebrates freedom for the 234th time, our freedom is under attack for the 234th time. Freedom is never free and it certainly isn't easy. God bless our troops on the front lines of freedom around the world today! We can never repay the debt of gratitude we owe them.
But freedom is under attack within our borders, too.
I have been writing about two conflicting worldviews that are vying for power in our culture. These are, in fact, two vastly different visions of freedom. One is the secular humanist worldview that sees the world as impersonal matter shaped by chance and human beings as just another animal. To them there are no absolute values or laws. Every person is the arbiter of his own truth. The Biblical worldview recognizes a Creator Who established moral laws and absolute truth revealed in the Bible. This viewpoint understands that man is created in God's image and therefore, each life is precious.
Due to the vastly different perspectives represented by these worldviews, their ideas of how to govern are diametrically opposed. One view claims that rights originate with government while the other sees rights given by God.
Which worldview do you think our Founders embraced?
"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible." George Washington
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people." John Adams
"We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government....but upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the 10 Commandments of God." James Madison
"The principles of genuine liberty and of wise laws and administrations are to be from the Bible." Noah Webster
"God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better that the builders of Babel." Benjamin Franklin
How about taking a wild guess which worldview our Founding Fathers held as the vision for our Republic?
Compare that with the vision of current politicians and leaders.
While it may be true that our Founding Fathers were not saints or spiritual giants, they understood the truth of what Jesus said, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
Here are three profound spiritual truths to wrap your mind around on this Independence Day 2009:
1) All freedom begins and ends in God. So, the further you get from God the less freedom you enjoy.
2) Freedom does not consist of rights, it consists in a relationship (with God through Christ).
3) Freedom is not given - it is received. Therefore, true freedom cannot be taken from you.
God bless you! God bless America!