We all know the famous line by Patrick Henry, “give me liberty or give me death”. I read up on him and he was one of our founding fathers and worked hard to help us separate from Britain. I have been thinking a lot about his quote from a spiritual perspective and for us, as Christians, our death is our liberty. What do I mean?
As Christians, we are just passing through this life knowing that our pilgrimage will end with eternal joy in heaven. We will be liberated from this earthly body to an eternal rest with our Savior. This is true liberty, right? I’m so glad I found Christ and accepted His death as payment for my sin.
I accepted His free gift of salvation, the one He gave and sacrificed so much for. But I also believe that because we have this liberty, we need to live like Christ did here on earth so as to glorify His name and see others come to know Him as well. But if we also have some liberties here on earth to live like Christ then what are they?
LIBERTY TO HAVE JOY IN LIFE
With the freeing knowledge that heaven is our eternal home we have the liberty to walk through life with joy. This means we are resting in Him and joy can just bubble up and be showered on others around us. Joy IS a daily choice but for a Christian it is the best choice as we seek to be like Christ.
When joy is lost, we become a servant to other things like depression, despair, fear, anxiety, etc. Joy springs out of the hope of heaven and the love of Christ. It is given to us by our Lord and as Nehemiah put it in chapter 8 and verse 10, “…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” What liberty to have joy as our daily strength!
LIBERTY TO LOVE THOSE AROUND US
When we know that heaven is our eternal home, we then have this deep desire to love those around us and to make certain that they, too, know of this beautiful place called heaven. (Side note: click here to hear a beautiful song about heaven) We have the liberty to tell others about this eternal rest in heaven. Isaiah was right when he said in chapter 52 and verse 7, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” What liberty we have to share the gospel!
LIBERTY TO LIVE FREE IN CHRIST
We live in a fallen world and every day we see evidence of this all around. Some Christians believe that once saved and their eternity is secure then they can go on living how they please here on earth. However, the opposite is true when we sit and think about all that the Lord has done for us and all that He suffered for us. How much better it is then to live freely in Him here on earth? How do we do so? We look at Christ’s life and how HE lived, and we then change our ways, our attitudes and our living to match His.
I believe we could talk a very long time on all of these areas and how Christ lived them but suffice it to say that our liberty means to me that I will walk, talk, live and act differently than the world so that the world, too, may desire to live freely in Christ. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1) Paul is reminding us that standing in liberty with Christ makes us free from the bondage of sin and this world. What liberty it is to live in Christ!
DO YOU HAVE THIS LIBERTY?
There is nothing sweeter than having liberty in Christ. There is nothing better than knowing our liberty is in Him. There is no greater peace than having the assurance that heaven is our home. Christ came to give us this liberty. Have you accepted Christ as your Savior? Is your eternal soul secure?
One of my favorite hymns of all times shows us this liberty we have in Christ. This version has some different words but it still fills me joy that I have liberty in Christ. Here is a verse we don’t often sing. If you know this song, then go ahead and try singing this extra verse. It’s a good one!
O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothèd then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send Thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
