Freedom: Let It Ring Again!

Erma Bombeck – “You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but that’s patriotism.”

The liberty Bell is one of the most recognized symbols of freedom in the entire world. The echo carried throughout Philadelphia in 1774 as it summoned the first Continental Congress together, then again it rang after the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775 and then again in it’s most notable ringing on July 8, 1776, when it summoned the citizens for the reading of the most valuable document ever penned next the Bible - the Declaration of Independence!

That old bell of freedom rang its last note on February 26, 1846. The Philadelphia Public Ledger picks up the story of that day, “The old Independence Bell rang its last clear note on Monday, in honor of the birthday of Washington…It gave out clear notes and loud, and appeared to be in excellent condition until noon, when it received a compound fracture in a zig-zag direction through one of its sides which put it completely out of tune and left it a mere wreck of what it was.”

Could that be said of today’s freedom – voiceless and broken?

“Let freedom ring” one of the most widely known phrases ever uttered by man! Certainly we know that Marin Luther King J.R. applied this phrase to his “I have a dream” speech. It has been used in political speeches all across this country. It is plastered on banners waving in protest marches - border to border. “Let freedom ring” - we love to spout it, shout it and tout it – but does freedom still have that brilliant ring that helped set a nation free 232 years ago? Has the aging ring gone dead, has the ancient ring been silenced in this great nation?

President George W. Bush said, “… When the Declaration of Independence was first read in public, the Liberty Bell was sounded in celebration, and a witness said: “It rang as if it meant something.”

It was March 20, 1775 in Saint John’s Church in Richmond Virginia when a 39 year old fiery Christian Senator stood up in the midst of other great Founding Fathers and boldly proclaimed, “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!”

He was saying – we best keep freedom ringing!!

Patrick Henry would light the passion to the Revolutionary War with that blazing speech, in order to keep the fires of freedom alive for generations to come! He reminded the states that they had to be brave!

Elmer Davis said, “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.”

Robert J. McCracken wrote, “We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls.”

I ask - how did our Founding Father’s understand freedom? What was their concept of freedom? What was their original intent for freedom, liberty and rights in America?

What I want to do today it to look at their roll of government, rule of law and see something very interesting – it all lines up perfectly with what the Bible has to say about freedom!

Folks, let no one fool you – our Founding Fathers understood that there is a powerful connection between faith and freedom, and there is a direct connection between government and God!

What we are going to see in Paul’s writings in Galatians is how our Founding Fathers established as the boundaries for freedom, are right in line with the Bible! Why is this so important? Because we have raised 2 whole generations that do not know what real freedom is!

3 Freedom Facts:

1. Real Freedom Is Given By God. 5:13a

Have you ever thought about that? Real freedom is a calling! God does the calling and we do the responding! Folks, where do we get the idea that we should live free lives? Where do we get the basic principles that man is gifted with freedom? Where do we get the freedom of worship and the freedom to speak out? Every ounce of it comes from God! Without God we have no freedom, no liberty and no rights! Our Founding Fathers understood that our freedoms go all the way back to of all places – the Garden of Eden!