We celebrate Independence Day tomorrow and 246 years of our nation and remember that we are guaranteed certain freedoms in our Constitution in the first amendment such as freedom of religion which is purposely listed first, freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom to peaceably assemble, and freedom to petition the government for a redress of grievances. In the United States we have both freedom and liberty. These are not the same as freedom is the ability to be free from government interference whereas liberty is having freedom with limitations in that the government can interfere enough to prevent civil disorder or chaos in order to keep the government in place without anarchy. We do need both for if everyone was free to do anything they wanted without some restrictions then this would lead to complete chaos, anarchy, and disorder. The first amendment guarantees that we have the freedom to worship God as he intended without the government interfering as well as to tell others about Jesus. Recently the government keeps trying to take this freedom away from us including during the plandemic when it was closing churches, yet kept open bars, tattoo places, abortion clinics, and other sinful establishments. Government each and every day takes more of our rights to worship away and most Christians just sit back and do nothing or say nothing, but just allow them to continue to do it. The government tries to force the LGBTQ movement on the churches and force pastors to perform same sex weddings or Christian businesses to support their sin. All of these things violate our constitutional right of freedom of worship without government interference. We as Americans are also guaranteed freedom of speech and the press. These rights are also being controlled by the satanic liberals as they try to silence anyone who opposes their agenda of bringing in the New World Order, especially Christians. Christians and others who stand up against them are losing their freedom to speak out and the media is controlled by the liberals who silence them in that sphere as well which again violates our constitutional rights. The government says it is freedom of speech to burn the American flag when it is not, yet says we do not have the freedom as Christians to speak out against the LGBTQ and abortion or this is hate speech. Hate speech is governmental control as the definition of hate varies by person. The speaker of the house says Christians are mentally unstable as well as our military veterans and so they must not own guns and must be silenced. This violates our guaranteed freedoms. We also are guaranteed the freedom to peaceably assemble such as at abortion clinics or other immoral establishments. This does not guarantee the anarchy and rioting, burning, and looting of the Black Lives Matter yet the government protected them and has in many places taken away our freedom of peaceable assemblies that go against the liberal agenda. The second amendment guarantees our freedom to own weapons yet here again the government tries to take our guns away in “the name of safety”. It is really about the fact the government knows they are corrupt and are afraid that the people will revolt and overthrow them. This is also why they try to limit what weapons we can have. Our founding fathers placed this amendment in our Constitution for the sole purpose of the ability of the people to defend themselves against a corrupt government such as we have today and to revolt against it when it became corrupt. Thomas Jefferson even said the people need to do so if the government became as ours has. For those who are against guns, do not own one, but do not interfere with those who want to own them. Jesus himself told his disciples to carry a sword to protect themselves against evil and he said he came not in peace, but to carry a sword. (Luke 22:36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.) (Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.) These are some of the freedoms that we are guaranteed, yet our government is quickly taking them away.
We have the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor that proclaims liberty throughout the United States. For many years people from all over the world struggled to find a legal way to come to America to be able to enjoy the freedoms and liberties that we had. The statue stands for liberty in contrast to the freedoms we saw in the Constitution. Besides those freedoms we are guaranteed in the US Constitution, most of the other things we assume are freedoms are in reality liberties. These other things that have some limitations in most cases are necessary so that we do not have anarchy. Government was instituted by God and is necessary for our defense and a few other things, but God did not ordain the government taking away our freedoms such as worshipping God. Liberty is also mentioned in our Declaration of Independence where it stated that liberty was one of the unalienable rights guaranteed to us. This can be seen in the phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Having guaranteed liberty does not mean that we cannot lock up criminals, or that someone else has the liberty to take away someone else’s guaranteed freedoms such as the liberals are doing. This goes back to if someone does not want to worship God then they have that right from God, but they do not have the right to prevent someone who does want to worship God. Liberals are always that way. Everyone must agree with them in everything and be exactly like them or they will destroy you. If they are for abortion then you must be. If they are atheists then all must be. If they are antigun, then no one can have guns. If they are vegetarians then everyone must be. God says otherwise. We have the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which quotes part of Leviticus 25:10 “proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof”.
The difference between freedom and liberty can be seen in scripture where God gave Adam and Eve the freedom to choose to obey him and not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil or to eat of it and in the day they did they would surely die and be separated from God. They used their freedom to disobey and turn from God. When they got right with God they now had the liberty to serve God, but not the freedom to disobey God. We also see how Paul was granted liberty when he was in prison that allowed him to have some ability of freedom yet he was not free to go and do as he pleased if he had freedom. This is similar to those in the military that are granted liberty to go out on the town for the weekend, yet they do not have the freedom to not return when they are required to do so. (Acts 24:23 And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.) (Acts 27:3 And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.)
The Holy Bible speaks often on liberty, but only a little on freedom and then only as of not being a slave. This is because people have the freedom to choose Jesus as their Saviour or to reject him and spend an eternity in the lake of fire, but as Christians we have liberty in Jesus, but not freedom to continue in sin. (Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.) (Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.) (Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.) Our freedom as Christians becomes limited to liberty as we no longer have the right to live a life of anarchy against God as our bodies no longer belong to us, but to Jesus as he bought them with his shed blood. (I Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.) (I Corinthians 7:23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.) We as Christians are now expected to obey God’s commands as we no longer have the freedom as unbelievers to be disobedient to God. If we do God will punish us. Since we were bought with a price then we are to be servants of God, not man. We are to obey God first then government. This is especially true when the government tries to take away our freedoms to worship God or tells us to violate God’s laws. Jesus said he came to deliver liberty to people, not give them freedom from him. (Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,) Jesus quoted from Isaiah 61:1. (Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;) We as Christians have been delivered from the bondage of sin to liberty as children of God. (Romans 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.) We are not to let our liberty as Christians be a stumbling block to those who are weak. (I Corinthians 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.) We as Christians are not to misuse our God given liberty. (I Peter 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.)
Here is an example of how as Christians we have liberty in Christ Jesus, but not freedom as unsaved people do. We as Christians are expected to marry another Christian, not an unsaved person. Paul spoke of this when he said we are not to be unequally yoked and also when he said how if the husband is still alive then the wife is bound to him by the law, but if the husband dies she can remarry, but only another Christian. (II Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?) This is liberty in that we have freedom with limitations. As Christians we no longer have the freedom to marry an unsaved person, but only the liberty to marry another Christian. (I Corinthians 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.)
God warned against false brethren who would try to take away our liberties as Christians. This refers to those false Christians who profess to be Christians, but in reality are not and who are trying to take away our liberties. Many of our politicians are this way. This also applies to many weak and/or carnal Christians who are spiritually blinded to the many things of Satan who try to take away the liberties of Christians. (Galatians 2:4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:)
God told the Israelites to have a jubilee every fiftieth year and to proclaim a liberty throughout the land. The Israelites were to forgive all debts and free those in bondage. This jubilee was to be holy. The number fifty means the Holy Ghost and it is only by the Holy Ghost convicting a person and leading them to the Lord Jesus that true liberty comes. (II Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.) God also warned against those who did not obey his commands to give liberty to the people by taking away their liberty and bringing in war and famine. Let this be a warning to our government leaders as they take away our freedoms and liberties. (Jeremiah 34:15-17 And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:
16 But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.
17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.)
As we get ready to celebrate Independence Day tomorrow let us thank God for the freedoms and liberties that we have in the United States of America and pray that we will be able to keep them, but also remember that freedom and liberty really come from God who grants government the power to give these things. If we continue to turn from God as a nation, God will take these things away so let us pray for our nation. True freedom and liberty only comes when a person calls upon Jesus as their Saviour and frees a person from the bondage of sin and Satan. Use your God given freedom to call upon Jesus today and enjoy an eternity of liberty in Jesus.
