Day 2: Liberty

“… where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is LIBERTY.” II Corinthians 3:17

Can you just hear the silence that followed Patrick Henry’s proclamation of, “Give me liberty, or give me death?” The silence was so strong that I am sure that if a pin were dropped, it would have been heard as if a bullet had been shot. There is a reason for this … a lot was weighing in the balance. Therefore, it was a very profound statement, was it not?

Liberty means the state of being free from restrictions. Where liberty can found, life can be found. Where no liberty is found, death is found. This is true both physically and spiritually. So, spiritually speaking this also is a very profound statement for us … if I do not have liberty (spiritually), I will suffer death (spiritually).

Where is liberty found? Well, our verse tells us that it is found in the Spirit. At the moment of salvation, we received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us. God gave us His Spirit when He gave us life. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Yesterday we talked about that sacrifice that gave us our freedom, which in turn gives us our liberty.

Some people come to Christ for liberty thinking that once they have surrendered their lives to Him, that they will now live a peaceful, drama-free life. When that does not happen, they are very upset. What they fail to realize is that Christ may have paid that price for their liberty, but liberty must be lived out every single day of our lives. Many of us truly have the Holy Spirit living within us, but we live a dead, defeated life. That is not what God intended for us at all, my friend!

Yes, we will have struggles. Yes, we will get beaten up from time to time. Yes, we will have doubts and fears and people and things will pull us downward. But, we do not have to stay there. God has promised us liberty! We must act on it! That action is what helps us to proclaim to all those who see us that we live in liberty … through Christ!

We have had the privilege of going to New York City a few times because we have a supporting church there. We have not gotten to go to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty up close, but we have seen it from a distance. She stands so tall and so proud with her torch raised high. What is she proclaiming to all who see her? Liberty!

“In New York Harbor, stands a lady, with a torch raised to the sky; and all who see her, know she stand for Liberty for you and me. I’m so proud to be called an American, to be named with the brave and the free; I will honor our flag and our trust in God, and the Statue of Liberty. On lonely Golgotha, stood a cross, with my Lord raised to the sky; and all who kneel there, live forever as all the saved can testify. I’m so glad to be called a Christian, to be named with the ransomed and whole; as the statue liberates the citizen, so the cross liberates the soul. Oh, the cross is my Statues of Liberty, It was there that my soul was set sfree; unashamed I’ll proclaim that a rugged cross is my Statue of Liberty!” (written by the Gaithers)

Raise your torch high, my friend, that it may proclaim to all who see that you have chosen LIBERTY!