The Cost of Freedom
At our church in Sand Springs, we have Communion the first Sunday of every month. As the first Sunday was approaching, I found my self thinking of how interesting it is that the birthdays of two Presidents were in the same month. It wasn't that their birthdays were in the same month that was intrtiguing, it was that both men were involved in history changing wars. Both wars were for freedom.
As I continued to ponder, another thing crossed my mind. The American War of Independence was fought so that America would no longer be under the tyranny of King George III of England. For ten years the Founders tried to come to terms with King George in various ways. Anytime the Americans tried to pass laws to try to end slavery, particularly in the northen states, or tried to start Bible Societies to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to blacks who had been set free, or to American Indians, King George III would veto such proposals. The more they tried to work things out with King George III the more tyranical he became. When Americans finally reached the point in which they believed they had no other option, they declared independence from England. A brutal war for freedom broke out.
In less than a century another brutal war for freedom broke out. The Civil War. It was a war to end the institution of slavery in our nation. It was a war that not only divided the nation, but families as well. People in the same family in some cases, found some members fighting for the South and others fighting for the North. More than half a million lives were lost. Not all of them soldiers. Although the Civil War was primarily fought to set the slaves free, it is not very often, or if ever, thought about as a war that also was again, setting America free. America could never be completely free if slavery continued to exist.
What further struck me was this...for freedom to be had, blood must be shed. There is no getting around it. From the slave rebellion of Spartacus, to all the wars against oppressive governments and individual tyrants, blood was shed to earn freedom, if not for the warriors, for those who would live after them. For blood to be shed to obtain freedom is not only manifest in the “natural world” so to speak, the undercurrent to fight for freedom is spiritual at its root. More on that a bit later.
George Washington was the commander of the Continental Army. He was willing, as others, to sacrifice the comfort of his home, Mount Vernon, which he dearly loved. He was willing to lose Mount Vernon, his wealth and his life for freedom. Not freedom for just himself, but for generations after him. The Founders had a generational viewpoint of what they were doing. They were not thinking only of themselves. They were thinking far into the future. If people would take the time to find their personal writings and read them, it becomes very apparent. No, they weren't perfect. They were deeply flawed men and women. However, they recognized their human frailties, and knew Who they needed to depend on, and knew that often times they needed to reflect inwardly and repent. Unlike many of us today.
On October 3, 1789 George Washington issued this proclamation. It is entirely pertinent, however time and space do not permit me to quote the entire proclamation.
“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of AlmightyGod, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and to humbly implore His protection and favor...Now, therefore, I do recommend that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war....And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of the Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue.”
It was during the American War of Independence that many of the Founders, in fighting for freedom awakened to the injustice of slavery. Many of the Founders who had slaves prior to the war, set their slaves free after the war. George Washington had in his last will and testament to let all of his slaves free. The only reason he couldn't let them free earlier than his death, was because Virginia law only allowed slaves to be set free in the last will and testament of the slave owner. Virginia, although Thomas Jefferson sought to get the law changed many times, could not get enough votes to have it accomplished.
In many ways the American War of Independence is linked to the Civil War. It was because of that war, it drastically changed many American's attitudes toward slavery.
Abraham Lincoln was opposed to slavery. Those who say he was not, are ignorant at the very least, and liars at the very worst with no interest in the truth. Obviously, as George Washington was a key, if not the key leader in the American War of Independence, Abraham Lincoln was the key leader of the Civil War. Being Commander and Chief of the Union military, as President, weighed very heavy on him. He one time stated that the war was draining the life out of him. He believed he would not live to see the end of the war.
Here are a few quotes of Abraham Lincoln involving liberty, and God.
“Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands everywhere,” 09/11/1858.
“I am indebted to the good Christian people of the country for the constant prayers and consolations.
“The purposes of the Almighty are perfect, and must prevail, though we erring mortals may fail to accurately perceive them in advance.” Both statements made on 09/04/1864.
“I am responsible to the American people, to the Christian world, to History, and on my final account to God,” 04/18/1864, almost one year prior to his assassination.
Two of the preeminent early leaders of our nation, born in the same month, born for such a time as they were in, to lead the nation to freedom. Again, to obtain freedom requires the shedding of blood.
Of course as I pondered these things (I did not mention most of this during Communion) it caused me to realize that in order for all people to be truly free, blood had to be shed.
Matthew 26:26-28 - “And while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said 'Take, eat; this is My body.' (27) And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you; (28) for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'”
The true freedom we all need, is the freedom from sin. Freedom from the slavery of sin. We can not be free from the slavery of sin by shedding our own blood. The freedom from the slavery of sin can only be done through what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. No one, absolutely no one has or could shed their blood to save humanity from the slavery of sin. They couldn't even if they wanted to because their blood has been tainted with sin as all humanity has been. Anyone one who says there is no such thing as sin must be living under a rock. All one has to do, is look at what is going on in the world. Evil happens because of sin. Sin is a disease, Jesus Christ is the cure. He shed His blood for us so that all can be set free from sin's slavery.
Jesus' shed blood covering us, washing us as it were from sin positions us to be able to have the Holy Spirit dwell in us, not just for us to go to heaven and live happily ever after. It is so His power can be detonated within us, so that we can move in the power that Jesus moved in while He was here on earth. Again time and space does not allow me to get into the nuts and bolts of what I'm saying here, but the reality is, everything in heaven, in God's Kingdom that was at Jesus disposal while He walked the earth, is at our disposal as well. It is for us to bring glory to God. To be the proof and evidence that Jesus Christ indeed, has “all power in heaven and on earth,” (Matthew 28:18) and that He is actually alive. After all, Jesus said that we would do greater works than what He did, because He was returning to the Father. And it is all because He shed His blood for all of our freedom.
Love & God bless, Pastor Paul.