Liberty or Death

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

– 1 Corinthians 9:19

What better symbolizes America and its ideals of justice and freedom than the Statue of Liberty? 

Constructed in France, disassembled, and then shipped to New York in 214 crates, “Lady Liberty” was re-assembled and later officially dedicated in October 1886. Since then, the iconic statue has inspired millions around the world to experience freedom by immigrating to the United States and escaping the hardships or persecutions they faced in their mother countries. 

Today, Americans enjoy countless rights and privileges protected through federal, state, and local laws. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution even guarantees our freedom to worship God as we see fit. But if we look at things through the upside-down way of Jesus, no one (of any nationality) has any real freedom. The truth is that we’re all slaves!

Regardless of what’s written in our Bill of Rights or the Declaration of Independence, everyone without exception is a slave to someone or something. They might not have literal chains around their wrists and ankles. But they still lack God’s perspective of true freedom. As Jesus put it so bluntly:

“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”

This sin represents bondage to the world’s values, and it comes in many forms. It might be slavery to money and possessions, pleasures, fame, a career — or even religion. But however it appears, sin boils down to substituting false, man-made gods for the one and only True Creator.

Christ-followers are also slaves. But the big difference is that they willingly choose to give up the temporary things of this world for the true freedom gained from an eternal relationship with Jesus.

“Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey,” asked the apostle Paul, “whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Paul’s question reveals that our choice is one of liberty or death: following Jesus or following sin.

Is this a difficult decision? Let’s remember that our earthly possessions aren’t really our own, and we certainly can't expect them to last. We can lose our jobs unexpectedly through layoffs or downsizing, and our homes and property can be ruined through a natural or man-made disaster. Serious health issues can arise at any time. And let’s face it, the mortality rate for everyone is 100%. 

The fact is that one day we WILL lose it all in one way or another. And unfortunately, most people will choose to do it through their slavery to sin. But there’s a far better and more satisfying choice: becoming a lifelong slave of a very kind master by accepting Jesus’ generous offer of salvation.

"Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever," Christ assures us. "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

We can take it or leave it, and the choice is ours: Liberty or Death.

The Promise

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

– 2 Peter 3:9

Thanks to the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation), the money you deposit at a member bank — up to at least $250,000 — is protected if that bank fails. But it wasn’t always that way. 

During the Great Depression, thousands of banks failed after anxious depositors tried to withdraw their funds en masse, and the life savings of millions of Americans was wiped out in the process. The FDIC’s launch in 1933 helped restore confidence in the nation’s banking system. So, for over 90 years, depositors have trusted the federal government’s promise that they won’t lose a penny in their FDIC-insured accounts.

This ironclad guarantee continues to stabilize our nation because citizens know they can literally bank on it. There’s no need for accountholders to panic or lose sleep, regardless of the headlines. And that’s a comforting thought in these tough economic times. But perhaps we should find much greater solace in the motto that’s printed on every dollar bill:

In God We Trust

It’s in the Bible that we find thousands of reasons why. For example, the Lord assured the Israelites who had escaped Egypt that he would drive out the nations before them and give them the Promised Land. God also promised to one day re-gather his scattered people (the Jews) from around the globe. About 2,500 years later in 1948, he did just that through the emergence of the State of Israel. And no doubt our Creator kept his greatest promise through the birth of the world’s Savior (Jesus) in an obscure outpost of the Roman Empire.

Why does this matter?

Jesus’ death and resurrection defeated the power of sin and death, and they also gave Believers the power to live victorious, Spirit-filled lives. In these uncertain times, it’s nice to have something worthwhile that we can take to the bank. And the best example is the promise of everlasting life through our faith in Jesus:

"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish,” we read in John 10:28. “No one will snatch them out of my hand."

The Bible is full of promises made … and promises kept. And unlike those thousands of unstable Depression-era banks, every one of them is rock-solid and utterly reliable.

Storm Warning

He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”

– Matthew 16:2-3

It’s considered one of the worst natural disasters in United States history, leaving up to 12,000 people dead in its wake. And if not for the repeated warnings of one brave civil servant, the toll could have been even higher.

The infamous Hurricane of 1900 struck Galveston, TX, on September 8,

with estimated wind speeds approaching 140 mph. Dr. Isaac Cline, Galveston’s weather bureau manager, knew that the tempest had crossed Cuba. Moreover, storm warnings were already issued for several Southeastern states. And while Dr. Cline lacked satellite imagery and other modern forecasting tools, he grew suspicious of the signs that he saw in the sky and the waters. A day before the hurricane’s arrival, he raised the official storm warning flags over Galveston’s Weather Bureau building. And for the next several hours, he personally warned those on the beach to seek higher ground. Dr. Cline’s last telegraphed message to reach the outside world was:

"Gulf rising rapidly; half the city now under water."

There’s no way to know how many Galveston residents survived because they heeded Dr. Cline’s warnings. But we can see in hindsight that the signs of pending disaster were there. And that’s often the case with history-changing events like hurricanes, floods, wars, and even political campaigns. But what about the warning signs for events that strike much closer to home? Is God trying to alert you to a storm on your personal horizon?

Maybe it involves your marriage, your kids, your job — or even that risky investment you’ve been considering. Whatever it is, it’s likely that his warnings aren’t a complete surprise. But the problem is that we prefer to put off the unpleasantries until the last minute or until it’s too late. And by then, the damage is done and irreparable.

Our excuses are remarkably consistent. We’re either too busy or we don’t think the issue is a big deal. We also like to play God by pretending that we can handle the situation, such as with drug use, drinking, or gambling. But your family, friends — and most importantly, God — know otherwise.

How should we respond when God sends us a warning? The best answer is the simplest one: Face up to the situation NOW and take appropriate measures while there’s still time.

The residents of Galveston learned this the hard way. After suffering damages exceeding $700 million in today’s money, they began to plan for future hurricanes by constructing a massive seawall and raising the grade of their entire island by several feet. Likewise, we should also prepare for the storms of life by looking and listening for God’s warning signs, and then responding to them. 

A little discomfort and inconvenience today can save us from a disastrous lifetime of hurt tomorrow.   

Just What the Doctor Ordered

Everyone on earth has a body like the body of the one who was made from the dust of the earth. And everyone in heaven has a body like the body of the one who came from heaven.

– 1 Corinthians 15:45

The Garden of Eden must have been quite a place.

And indeed it was. We read in Genesis — the first book of the Bible — that it was a paradise filled with beautiful trees, gardens, rivers, and animals. God created Adam (the first man) to care for it, and later brought forth Eve, his wife, to complete the equation. There was no crime, violence, unemployment, or any of the other unpleasant realities of our modern existence. And the pair communed with their Creator in a place free of pain, sickness … and even death. From the very beginning God created the world with one purpose in mind: to share his glory in covenantal relationship with humanity.

But soon everything changed. Adam and Eve’s disobedience through eating from the garden’s forbidden tree led to their permanent eviction from Eden. And ever since, human existence has involved toil, conflict, illness, and mortality. It’s a price we’re still paying to this day.

Just how far has Adam and Eve’s sin taken us from that place of perfect health? 

Recent data reveals that the United States is a world-leader in health care costs. In 2022, spending reached $4.5 trillion, an average of about $13,500 per person. And with millions of Baby Boomers each year reaching retirement age, America’s need for medical services will only grow.

It’s obvious that our nation — as well as the rest of the world — is in desperate need of healing. That’s why it’s a good thing that God sent us a Great Physician in the form of his own Son, Jesus Christ.

We read in the New Testament how Jesus, with only a touch or even a word, healed lepers, the blind, and the paralyzed. He even resurrected a man and young child from death: all incredible miracles that proved him to be God among us. 

But Christ’s healings were much more than physical. They had (and still have) eternal, spiritual significance. In our 21st century culture that worships vitality and outward appearance, Christ sees our real condition like an X-ray of our souls. And truth be told, he knows that we all hurt in one way or another through the wounds and fractures suffered amidst everyday life. 

Christ-followers aren’t exempt from physical illness and death because that wonderous reality disappeared with Adam and Eve. However, we do have the promise of perfect health and happiness once we reach our eternal home with the Father. And it all starts with believing in Jesus and asking for a change of heart, mind, and soul. The prescription for true health is our simple faith in Him. 

“Daughter, your faith has healed you,” Jesus told one hope-filled woman. “Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

It’s just what the Doctor ordered.