Give Me Liberty, Save Me From Death!

Freedom, what a wonderful sounding word. The full meaning of freedom is more than many can comprehend and most take for granted until their freedom is lost. Words lack the ability to describe the wonderful feeling of being set from a bondage that limits your ability to enjoy life to the fullest.

When I was in school, we were all taught the words of Patrick Henry, one of the founding heroes of our nation, who stood before the Continental Congress in 1775 and gave a rousing speech in support of the War of Independence from King George of England?

Here is the final paragraph of his speech:

“Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

That last phrase became a rallying cry and America was born from the hearts of men who wanted freedom more than anything in this world! Freedom from the slavery of another man or another nation is wonderful but there is a greater freedom that all men must experience. It is a freedom from sin that can only be made a part of our lives the blood of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Ghost!

The Apostle John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos for preaching the gospel. John’s body of flesh was imprisoned, but John’s spirit was free from anything that man could do him. Certainly, the Apostle John desired freedom to travel where he pleased, and to perform the ministry that he knew God had called him to do, but God saw fit to keep him in that place until God’s time and purpose had been fulfilled.

I wonder if The Apostle would have found the time to get close enough to God and be in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day if he would have had his way and been free to preach wherever he wanted to? I wonder if we would have ever had the Revelation of Jesus Christ, so that God could reveal to the world that Jesus would prevail, and righteousness would reign in the end? Perhaps that is a lesson that all of us need to learn. God will put us where he wants us for his own reasons that we won’t always understand.

I know what it would have been like if I were in John’s shoes: Why, Lord, am I confined to this island while multitudes are dying without Christ? Why am I here? What did I do to deserve this punishment? Yes, I am happy to suffer for the cause of Christ, but could my life have been more productive for the building of the Kingdom of God than sitting on this barren rock? Would not it be better if I were preaching from city to city, establishing churches, training pastors and teachers, or holding revival meetings? What good am I to you in this place?

The Apostle John had decided that even though his freedom to move about was restricted in his prison, his spirit, soul and mind were free in Christ. Paul and Silas sang praises in the prison. John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day in Prison. Man had bound all of them but that could not keep them from being free in Christ, nor could their bondage keep them from experiencing God’s great miracle working power.

Revelation 4:1, "After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter."

God rolled back the curtain between Heaven and earth and opened a door into Heaven for John to hear God’s voice and see things that no man had ever seen before. What an experience! Lifted from the bonds of a Roman prison into the glorious freedoms of Heaven’s throne!

Looking at this event, I am reminded that God is still opening that door for those who will look to him and listen for his voice. I am reminded of the day that God lifted me from the chains of bondage to sin and opened the door to His glorious presence!

I was dead man walking. My life was in ruins. Drugs and alcohol had chained me to the gates of hell, and I was awaiting the executioner. But somewhere Jesus heard the voice of someone praying call my name, and in the depths of my depravity, He came looking for me. Thank God, Jesus came looking for me. Thank God, I heard Him calling out to me and I found Jesus waiting with his arms open, welcoming me home, welcoming me into His presence. That’s why I dance, that’s why I shout, that’s why when I am in the presence of God, I cannot contain my tears. I know the depravity of the bondage of sin, and I know I don’t deserve the sacrifice Jesus made for me. O’ but I am so glad He did. I love that old song!

I don't know why Jesus loved me

I don't know why He cared

I don't know why He sacrificed His life

Oh, but I'm glad, so glad He did

He left His mighty throne in glory

To bring to us redemption's story

Then He died but He rose again

Oh, but I'm glad, so glad He did

He left His might

Oh, but I'm glad, I'm glad He did.

So glad He did

I'm glad He did

Where would I be if Jesus didn't love me?

Where would I be if Jesus didn't care?

Where would I be if He hadn't sacrificed His life

Oh, but I'm glad, so glad He did

If we are ever going to experience the glory of God in our lives, we must learn to get close to God and leave the things of this world behind. God desires for us to look up to him. Get your eyes off the troubles that you face, the sickness, disease, death and destruction, and get your eyes on things eternal. Just like Peter, when we take our eyes off Jesus and focus on our troubles, we will surely sink into those same troubles and become slaves to them.

God wants us to rise above those things. He wants us to soar on eagles’ wings to higher places in him. Rise above your troubles! Rise above your difficulties! Rise up and allow the Holy Ghost to rise within you.

Ephesians 2:6, "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus…"

God has placed before us an open door, the Holy Ghost, that allows us to climb above the mundane things of this world and set our sights on Heaven and all its glory.

Revelation 3:20 "…Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

Jesus has brought a new hope for freedom that nothing on earth can match. It is not some words of man carved into a stone monument that speak to the heart of man, but across the portals of Glory, through the living Word of Almighty God come these words from our Lord:

Matthew 11:28-30, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Jesus wants more than just our physical freedom. He wants our spirit to be free from the grasp of sin. There are multitudes of people who are free to roam this land in their planes, trains and automobiles but their lives and hearts are held in prisons of sin that cannot be broken. They have no thought for eternity and the bondage that the devil has placed upon them.

Drug addition, pornography, alcoholism, riches, power and fame are the prisons that bind them. Every day more and more fall victim to a broken heart. Every day more are held captive in deep recesses of despair and hopelessness. Every day, those who don’t know Jesus, are driven deeper into a spiritual blindness. Every day more and more are permanently scarred and bruised by the tyranny of sin that enslaves them.

Humanity lives in a prison of darkness and they need a deliverer. They need liberty but no man has the power to deliver his soul from the chains of sin that bind him. Those chains of sin can only be broken by the power of the Holy Ghost and the Blood of the Lamb!

Jesus answered this cry for freedom when he spoke these words in 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,"

I know that today America celebrates Independence Day, but friends I want you to know that every day can be Independence Day with Jesus. His power to deliver is not governed by man’s calendar. Jesus desires to see all men come to Him. Jesus calls out to each of us right now, open the door to your heart and let me come in. He will heal the hurt that you feel. He will open your spiritual eyes so that you can understand and know him in a greater fashion. Let today be your Independence Day from sin. Shout to Jesus, “Give me Liberty, set me free from Death!”