The Obligation of Freedom
I love all the talk about
freedom. The longer I live in Southeastern Virginia and gain new friends who serve in the military; the more I appreciate the
sacrifice of those who have given their lives to secure and defend my
freedom. It is a wonderful joy to me to
live in a land where I can worship as I choose and serve the Lord without fear
of interference from governmental intervention.
I have been sitting today thinking about a statement I read many years ago about freedom. In many ways, it has plagued me, for I find myself mulling over the implications of the words. The statement was made by a Christian who was in theSoviet Union . You remember the days when that was a bastion
of religious persecution, don’t you?
This brother was asked what it was like to be a Christian in a state
openly adverse to Christianity. Here was
his response:
“InRussia America Russia America
As I think about the power of those words, I find myself sensing a bit of shame. Do I really take advantage of my freedoms as an American citizen to stand and be counted for Christ? Are there times when I neglect to stand and be counted, knowing that there will be more opportunities later? Is it possible that I don’t speak up because no one is forcing me at gunpoint to declare once and for all if I am a follower of Jesus?
God has placed us in a country offering freedom in which to live out our faith. How much advantage are we taking of that freedom? Paul told us in Romans 12 that we are to be a living sacrifice. Someone has suggested that being a living sacrifice is more difficult that being a dead sacrifice. It is conceivably easier to die for Christ than it is to live for Him. I would never suggest that martyrs have it easy because I have never been asked to “lay it all on the line” for Christ…or have I? Am I living in a way that lays everything on the line?
As we celebrate the freedoms we have as citizens of the United States of America, let’s remember that those freedoms carry with them an obligation; a responsibility to take advantage of our freedom and use it to spread the life changing message of Christ as far and as wide as we can. After all, we really hold a dual citizenship. We are first of all citizens of Heaven; secondly citizens of theUSA
I have been sitting today thinking about a statement I read many years ago about freedom. In many ways, it has plagued me, for I find myself mulling over the implications of the words. The statement was made by a Christian who was in the
“In
As I think about the power of those words, I find myself sensing a bit of shame. Do I really take advantage of my freedoms as an American citizen to stand and be counted for Christ? Are there times when I neglect to stand and be counted, knowing that there will be more opportunities later? Is it possible that I don’t speak up because no one is forcing me at gunpoint to declare once and for all if I am a follower of Jesus?
God has placed us in a country offering freedom in which to live out our faith. How much advantage are we taking of that freedom? Paul told us in Romans 12 that we are to be a living sacrifice. Someone has suggested that being a living sacrifice is more difficult that being a dead sacrifice. It is conceivably easier to die for Christ than it is to live for Him. I would never suggest that martyrs have it easy because I have never been asked to “lay it all on the line” for Christ…or have I? Am I living in a way that lays everything on the line?
As we celebrate the freedoms we have as citizens of the United States of America, let’s remember that those freedoms carry with them an obligation; a responsibility to take advantage of our freedom and use it to spread the life changing message of Christ as far and as wide as we can. After all, we really hold a dual citizenship. We are first of all citizens of Heaven; secondly citizens of the
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