Author of Liberty

We live in a crazy world.

Have you seen the news lately? Regardless of which side you relate to, the rhetoric is nuts. From Presidents and confirmations, to senators and local officials, including of course the “regular folk,” we live in a world that seems to have gone mad. We fight battles on social media with people we don’t even know and fear for our “right” to do a number of things. Whether it’s religious freedom, gun rights, marriage, or any number of things, we question what those liberties will look like in the coming year, the coming election, or the lifetime of our children.

Freedom – it’s a precious commodity we have come to cherish as Americans. But much to our chagrin, we did not invent the concept, nor does America actually provide true freedom.

Singing in church the other day, we recollected the words of “My Country, ‘tis of Thee.” Repeating the words of Samuel Francis Smith written almost 200 years ago, we sang:

Our father’s God! to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing:
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!

There is only one Author of Liberty.

Christians through the centuries have been put behind bars, limited in their freedoms, and even losing their lives. But if you asked any one of them, they would claim they were free. Whether Paul the Apostle, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr. or many other men and women over the years, they all knew true freedom had nothing to do with their circumstances but a lot to do with their Savior.

Scripture says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Christ is where true freedom is found – freedom that lasts for eternity and not just for a few years, freedom we don’t have to worry about being stolen or taken away.

As we pursue freedom for ourselves and others around the world, as America strives to provide freedom like no other civilization in history, I pray we do not lose sight of where our true freedom comes. Should fear or anxiety seep into our hearts when it all seems chaotic, let’s go back to Scripture and remember who we rely on for our freedom. He doesn’t live in the White House, hold a seat in Congress, or even live down the street. He lives within us.

I pray we continue to strive to bring hope to people, vote based on our values, and debate with those who disagree, but never forget that our hope, our joy, our life, and our freedom does not lie in the hands of those.

The Author of our Liberty is the One who saved us. His name is Jesus.