Following Judah's Lion

The Cult Called "Freedom"

When America was formed, it came with a form of democracy called a republic. It is a representative form of government which includes continuing elections that insure it cannot become a monarchy or a totalitarian form of government. And the core element was freedom. This would provide all sorts of freedoms including freedom from tyranny, search and seizure, freedom of speech, and a host of other freedoms including freedom of religion. America became known as a bastion of freedom around the world and millions flocked to its shores.

Those who lived here not only rejoiced in this freedom, but eventually America became an ambassador for freedom around the world by many avenues of coercion, both gentle and forceful. Sometimes even the military was an ingredient in spreading this earthly freedom. Strictly speaking on earthly terms, it was a noble adventure. Almost all people prefer being free as opposed to being dominated.

But in America there lived a people who were commanded not to be of this world, but only be in it. These people were of another kingdom that was not in lockstep with any earthly kingdom, and in fact this kingdom was in conflict with all earthly kingdoms, or at least it should be. And after some years, the people of another kingdom slowly became a part of the people in the kingdom called “America”. These people still claimed to be a part of another kingdom, even giving that kingdom a superior place above the kingdom of America, but they now had a divided allegiance.

Now in order to soothe their consciences, the people of God’s kingdom claimed that God wanted them in America’s kingdom, and that America was an extension of His kingdom. So in effect, they could be unyielding supporters of America’s kingdom and still be unyielding supporters of God’s kingdom. The dangerous problem with that position is that as soon as you become an unyielding supporter of America’s kingdom, you are now yielding your support of God’s kingdom. There is only one Master and He is a jealous Master who will not share His glory with another. But now you see, the deception is complete.

Today we have a group of people who claim to be surrendered subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ who gladly hold the banner for another kingdom, and in an incredible gesture of spiritual treason, these people pledge their allegiance to the banner of this earthly kingdom called America. And what is at the heart of such a spectacle? Earthly freedom. But one freedom is a concept, while the other is a person.

President George Bush called on America to spread freedom all over the world. Horizontally speaking that is a noble endeavor, however God has never given any such commandment to His people. In fact, if we look through the eyes of the Spirit and through the prism of eternity, we can see that there is only one genuine form of freedom and that is the freedom that comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. All other freedoms are temporal, carnal, and almost always result in an atmosphere for self. It cannot be denied that in the natural, earthly freedom is better than earthy bondage and slavery, but it also cannot be denied that it cannot be compared with the blood bought freedom in Christ.

But when President Bush(and many modern presidents as well) began his policy of evangelizing earthly freedom around the world, including using violence and death to achieve that goal, many professing believers championed his cause as well. What a pitiful and disgusting scene! If the early believers had only known what would happen to the faith, as many of them lost their lives because they would not fight for Caesar. But the fairy tale, of America and her supposed divine creator who gave her life in the manger called the Pennsylvania State House, was galvanized. And the myth that most of the founding fathers were evangelical believers only cemented people’s convictions about America, even though the very act of violent rebellion against England was a monstrous violation of the commandments and spirit of God’s kingdom. In effect, those believers who sought earthly freedom from England severely compromised their freedom in Christ. And in the end, they themselves and subsequent generations of believers were imprisoned by the bondage of this earthly kingdom.

Bondage, you say? Yes. Earthly freedom can be every bit a bondage as being in an oppressive regime. When you revel in earthly freedom, and construct your life around such a freedom, and even pledge to defend that freedom, you are in a very deep and deceptive bondage. Take a look around and witness the fruits of America’s freedom. Do you not think that the Devil operates quite nicely in the playground of earthly freedom? We should live as lights where our Heavenly Father has providentially placed us, but when we embrace any earthly kingdom, regardless of how beneficial it is to our earthly existence, we have been deceived. And this is no inconsequential deception.

The deception of embracing an earthly kingdom tears at the very fabric of what it means to worship the Living God and live as incandescent epistles in His glorious kingdom. It compromises the gospel and misrepresents the very Savior we are supposed to be lifting up. How can two walk together unless they be agreed? How can a believing follower of the Lord Jesus Christ walk as a supporter of a secular and pluralistic nation which provides moral anarchy and worships all kinds of gods? Please do not cling to some notion of the glory of years gone by and suggest you are attempting to return America to those years. It is both a myth and contrary to the gospel call. Joining forces with darkness has never been the way of Jesus.

But if you still remain unconvinced, or even almost persuaded, pay attention to this years political spectacle. Listen for the Holy Spirit among all the wrangling and self promotion, and listen for the lies all dressed up as promises. Watch as the professions of faith in Christ by some politicians are little more than a footnote except when speaking at Liberty University or Oral Roberts University. Can any believer think that God is in the midst of such scandal that uses His Holy Name for political gain?

Yes, earthly freedom has become the golden calf before which millions worship. And yet earthly freedom is only as strong as the next prison bar or the next debilitating automobile accident or the next nuclear warhead, and the passion to defend it requires a stockpile of armaments whose designed purpose is to destroy what God has created. The paradox is astounding! We can be against the killing of womb babies while being in favor of the indiscriminate killing of suckling babies? Dear God what have we done!

Where is the Lord God of Elijah? And eternally more forceful, where is the Lord God whose Name is Jesus? Have we in the church no eyes? Can we not see how pitiful the church has become, and how impotent is our expression of the Risen Christ? We have become just like the heathen but with some religious and moral words that use the name of Jesus as an authenticating talisman. They go to war - we go to war. They go into debt - we go into debt. They hate the Muslims - we hate the Muslims. They kill babies - we kill babies. They pledge allegiance to a fallen nation - we pledge allegiance to that fallen nation. They look to man to effect change - we look to man to affect change. And on and on it goes until the church has become nothing more than an unremarkable ingredient in a western amalgam called a society. But God desires to call us ”a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”.

God has never called a country to be a “shining city on a hill”. He has called us, His inhabited followers, to walk humbly in His footsteps, surrendered to His glorious Person, and shining forth the living Word of Life in word and deed. And that can only be achieved when each believer has fully and exclusively embraced the eternal freedom that is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Why would we settle for the putrid pottage when God has provided His everlasting grapes of Eschol! Once a sinner has been set free from the bondage of his own sin and breathed into his life the colossal freedom he never knew existed, why would he ever return to the vomit of earthly freedom which extends only so far as his next heartbeat or the whims of a stronger neighbor?

Does your heart not stir as my poor words present the everlasting case for the Risen Christ? Can you not remember when you were in such miserable bondage and profound darkness? Think once again how God reached down and saved your darkened soul in spite of your many attempts to refuse Him, and in light of that relentless love and grace can you now divide your loyalties before His very face?? My blog is very small and exists in an insignificant corner of the Blogosphere, but to those who have been led here I implore you. Surrender once again, without reservation or stipulation, to the glory of the cross from which all life and all freedom flows. And as we go about our business and work, and as we raise our families, and as we also receive some joy from our God given gifts, let us remain vigilant over our hearts.

Our hearts belong to Him. They have been made free by the Blood of the Lamb, and the hollow promise of earthly freedom only seeks to diminish His glory within us. While they promise us liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption.

Lord Jesus, we have no God but You. We have no Savior but You. We have no Lord but You. And we have known You, the Truth, and we have been set free. We walk in Your freedom alone, and we refuse the tempting delicacies offered to us by this fallen world. We reject the pleasures of this world for a season, and we dedicate ourselves to live and die for You alone and to one day enter the Gates of Splendor with You as our sole and glorious allegiance. Grant us wisdom and strength to walk fully in Your steps today, until we fully see Your face on that day!