The U.S. Marine Corps Air Station
Cherry Point is located in Havelock , North Carolina , close to some of the Atlantic 's
most beautiful beaches. But when
visitors come to Havelock ,
the first thing they hear isn't the ocean's waves; it's the roar of fighter
jets. Since 1940, the sound of jet
engines have echoed through the local skies.
The Marines from Cherry Point don't mind the noise. As a matter of fact, the entrance to Cherry
Point Marine Air Station has a large sign that reads: "Pardon our noise,
it's the sound of freedom."
On July 4th our nation celebrated Independence Day. What an all-important day. For we remember the story of our nation's
beginnings and the incredible sacrifices of our nation's founders. It's a day to give thanks to God for His
blessings upon this nation. I hope you
had a good 4th of July.
Independence Day honors one thing – freedom, liberty. According to many observers it is the beacon,
the ideal of what America
represents to the world. Of course
glorifying freedom in general is one thing, defining and applying it
specifically to reality, to issues and our way of life is something else. What does freedom mean to you?
Historically, political, economic, social and religious
freedom was the motivating force in the American Revolutionary war for
independence against Great
Britain .
We were inspired by noble ideas about self-government, individual
liberty, economic opportunity, freedom of worship and fair representation. Yesterday celebrates 239 years from that
historic moment in Philadelphia
in 1776, when the Continental Congress voted to approve and sign the
Declaration of Independence.
We have built a nation founded upon the Judeo-Christian
tradition, a tradition under God, with principles like freedom and values like
justice. We believe freedom is worth
sacrificing for. We believe freedom is
worth working for. We believe freedom is
worth dying for. We thank the brave men
and women of our military, who have sacrificed their lives to ensure the
liberty which we enjoy as Americans.
Recall these famous words from the Declaration of
Independence – “We hold these truths
to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Our first amendment protects rights of
people: free speech, freedom of religion, freedom to assemble peaceably,
freedom of the press, and freedom to petition the government for a redress of
grievances.
The Bible has much to say about freedom. It teaches that human beings because of sin
are never totally or fully free. Isn't
that a bummer? We are always vulnerable
to, tempted by, or subject to some form of slavery. We must keep alert. We think for example of people consumed by
consumerism, constantly buying more and newer things. Author
Phillip Yancy writes: “I remember reading the account of a
spiritual seeker who interrupted a busy life to spend a few days in a
monastery. "I hope your stay is a blessed one," said the monk who
showed the visitor to his cell. "If you need anything, please let us know,
and we'll teach you how to live without it."
We think of people who are slaves to drugs, to pornography,
to alcohol, to gambling or money or power or hate or evil. Because of human sin, that is,
self-centeredness, self-worship, idolatry, disobedience to God's laws, we are
always vulnerable to becoming slaves to something or someone.
Scripture further teaches that freedom is a divine gift, a
divine right which comes from God. God
is free and we are made in God's image so that we might exercise our
freedom. Galatians says: “For
freedom Christ has set us free. Stand
firm, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
You and I were created by God to live free lives in our
relationships with God and one another.
Freedom is a divine gift; it is God’s will. Our freedom is grounded in
the liberating work of God in Jesus Christ. The good news is that no matter
what you or I are in bondage to, what we are enslaved to, through faith in
Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be delivered and begin to
experience the freedom which God intended for us. Therefore, stand firm and do not submit again
to a yoke of slavery.
Scripture further teaches about the nature of Christian
freedom? Is freedom being able to do
whatever you want whenever you want to?
Is freedom the ability to be reckless and shiftless and
irresponsible? Sure it is. Well, maybe not.
Biblically, that is simply another form of slavery, slavery
to one's whims, impulses and selfish desires.
Christian freedom is a paradox – Christian freedom is becoming a slave
to Christ. Biblically, true freedom is
being a servant of God. I Peter says: “As
servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext
for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers.” We read in Galatians: “For you
were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as
an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one
another.” We read in I
Corinthians: “Though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to
all, so that I might win some of them.
To the Jews, I became as a Jew in order to win Jews. To the Gentiles, I became as a Gentile in
order to win Gentiles. To the weak I
became weak, so that I might win the weak.” Christian freedom is becoming a slave to
Christ.
Further, Christian freedom is both a gift and a task, a gift
of grace from God and a task for God. The gift, through faith, of being free from
the controlling power of sin and Satan in our lives, the freedom which comes
from knowing you are accepted and forgiven by Jesus, freedom to know God loves
you, freedom from the fear of death, and
freedom from hopelessness. On the
other hand, freedom is a task given to us by God: the freedom to love God, to
worship God, to serve others, to share our resources, to guide others, to pray
with others, to encourage others, to love neighbors after the command of Jesus
Christ.
God's gift of freedom is at the same time a task for the
Church – to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to heal the sick, to help the
poor, to share the gospel. There are
Christians like the coalition of Roman Catholic organizations involved in
fighting against the evil of human trafficking, the slave trade of humans. Human trafficking enslaves people into forced
labor and commercial sexual exploitation.
God is bringing freedom to modern day slaves through His church.
Clearly, the issues today about freedom are complex and
highly emotional. Implementing the
principle of freedom is never simple.
For example, in regard to immigration and control of borders and the
debate about the God given human right and freedom to travel, to move from one
country to another verses a government's right and duty to protect the nation
and provide for an orderly process of immigration. Or the right and freedom of individual
privacy, which we all treasure dearly verses the need for national security and
governmental surveillance.
Or the current debate about the recent supreme court
decision legalizing same sex marriage in all 50 states. For some its a non-issue and for others its a
major issue. The court has declared
the right and freedom for gays to marry.
Christians differ on this issue.
Christian Pastor s and Jewish
rabbis disagree on this issue.
Non-believers don't all agree on this issue. I know that members and friends of this
congregation hold different views on same-sex marriage.
Some make a case by pointing to biblical teachings about
marriage and others point to the separation of church and state. Some argue for the right of states to set
marriage policies and guidelines and others argue for the federal government's
right to over-rule them. There is
discussion about the religious freedom of churches and pastors or Christian
colleges and what this new law means for them.
There is the discussion about marriage verses civil unions and domestic
partnerships.
As I have stated before, based upon scripture, I believe
that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman. On the other hand, I also believe in equal legal
rights for all American citizens under our constitution, rich and poor, old and
young, educated and uneducated, gay and straight, black and white, male and
female, religious and non-religious.
Marriage affords far more legal rights to people than civil unions.
I think the demonizing and labeling and name-calling on both
sides is unconscionable.
Self-righteousness on either side should be condemned. Pursuing one's convictions is important, but
however one feels, we must strive to see these issues with the mind and heart
of Christ. That's what separates
Christians from non-Christians. We must
treat people with respect.
Why? Scripture
declares that God so loved the world that he sent his only son. So it's crucial that whatever our viewpoint,
we must be guided by Jesus' command to love God with our heart, soul, strength,
and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves. For freedom is both a priceless and gracious
gift from God our creator, and Christ our redeemer, and a task for His
followers in our daily lives. For
freedom, Christ has set us free. Amen.
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