Freedom
By Rev. Dallas E. Henry
Jul 4, 2008 - 10:00:00 AM
Joshua 23:1-13
“When in the course of Human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. 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.”
Signed on July 2 and adopted in the Congress on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence set free the 13 colonies of America from its rule by Great Britain. Richard Stockton, a Quaker from New Jersey, was one of the 56 signers of that declaration. Stockton, in 1758, helped to construct the Quaker Meeting house near his home. Stockton was a prominent lawyer and landowner until the day that he signed that declaration. The English army routed him and his family from their home, and he was imprisoned as a traitor to the crown. As a result of his harsh treatment, his health was broken. After his imprisonment he returned to the burned and sacked remnants of his home and died there four years later at the age of 51. His is only one of the stories of these 56 men- many others tell the same story of men who gave their life for freedom.
Of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence:
5 were captured by the British and tortured before they died.
12 had their homes ransacked and burned.
2 lost their sons in the war.
9 either died from war wounds or from hardships suffered in the war.
We conclude from this that freedom is never free.
In the book of Joshua we are given a history of Israel’s occupation of the promised land. God had brought this people out of slavery and into a Promised Land of freedom. But before Joshua died he left the people with this same stern warning that Freedom is never free.
There is a price for gaining freedom, but there is also a price for maintaining freedom. We should remember that freedom is not won or maintained only by force of arms, by military arsenals, or by armies of men and women. Freedom is won and maintained in God. Great nations rise and fall upon the blessing and judgment of Almighty God and that is what Joshua told Israel this day. (V12-13)
The Lord, through Joshua, makes clear that the price of our continued freedom is two-fold:
1) The price is Devotion to God [V6]. Joshua reminded Israel that their continued freedom rested on their willingness to follow God. If they were to turn from God their downfall would surely come. It is true for us today. James Madison, 4th president of the US and one of the framers of the constitution said, “We have staked our future on our ability to follow the Ten Commandments with all our heart.¨ He knew as Joshua spoke so many years before him that freedom and democracy can only be maintained if men walk with God. You cannot write enough laws to govern a godless society. You cannot make enough rules to make moral an immoral nation. Often we look at our nation and become discouraged as we see the continual practice of abortion, homosexuality, same sex marriage, pornography, violence, crime, and hatred. We see it and we become discouraged. We see it; and we hear that the downfall of America is inevitable as God’s judgment comes upon us for our sin. We feel helpless to change our society and our world. But the truth is far different. We are far from impotent to affect the world around us.
We can make a difference.
It starts with us not with them. We get discouraged because we can’t change the whole world. The country seems to be falling apart and we can’t do anything about it. We come to church, we pray, we love God. Actually are we simply at the mercy of the godless in our society? Hear the word of God to Solomon: “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.¨
The truth is that the healing of the nation will start within the church. This is what Jesus said about us: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Revival will not come to a nation until reformation comes to the church. We must be willing to pay the price. The saddest commentary on our society today is that in all its decay and decadence no one seems to care. The people revel in their debauchery and the church remains silent. It’s as if people shut their windows and doors and refuse to become a part of the national debate. For far too long we have shut ourselves out of the arena of ideas and our Nation and our churches have suffered for it. The fact is that if we don’t fight for what is right no one will.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “All it takes for evil to prevail is that good men do nothing.¨
If you fight for the right, be assured that:
-You will be considered an extremist in this society’s eyes - men of God always have.
-You will be rejected at times - men of God always have.
-You will be laughed at, at times - Men of God always have.
-You will endure persecution - Men of God always have.
There is a price for freedom.
2) The second price is vigilance. We must be vigilant. We must protect the right. We must demand better than we have. James Garfield, the twentieth president of the United States, wrote this in 1877: “Now more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. If the next centennial does not find us a great nation it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.”
Anyone who is paying attention at all knows that Religious Freedom is slowing being eroded away. It is time that the Church begins to pay attention and remember the precious heritage that was given to it by those who sacrificed their lives and fortunes to provide this wonderful gift of Religious Liberty.
If our nation’s leadership has become dominated by liars, adulterers, cheats, and nare-do-wells, then it’s time we use the power of the voting booth and vote them out. It’s time Christians begin to run for office and take back what has been taken from us. Our nation’s pride, morality, and freedom are at stake; and we must not be shut out of the arena of ideas. We must stand up and be counted as those willing to pay the price for freedom.
Veterans' Memorials Threatened
Where The Spirit of the Lord Is, There Is Liberty
Source Of Liberty
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The Christian Civic League addresses Religious Freedom. You can review all the policy statements by logging on to www.cclmaine.org and click on "Polices"
10. Religious Freedom
A. We affirm the basic human right of every person to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience. We believe religious worship should be free of State interference. We, therefore, oppose any law or policy, which would seek to force a person to deny his religious beliefs. We believe that religious liberty is indivisible and that it undergirds both political and economic freedom.
B. We support the historic Separation of Church and State. We believe that government should enact no law respecting an establishment of religion. Neither should any law restrict the free exercise of religious faith. We believe that in a pluralistic society, religiously-grounded moral values should be permitted free expression in the public life of the community, state, and nation.
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