At this time of year, July 4^th, we think about our nation’s birth of freedom. Great Britain saw the newly established colonies in American as belonging to her. As with all freedoms, our national independence did not come easily. All freedoms are obtained through the crucible of struggle. Think about the difficulty of the descendants of Jacob in Egypt in their effort to break free from the bondage of Pharaoh. At what price did the reformers obtain religious freedom from the dominant power of their day! Jesus drank deeply of the cup of suffering to obtain our freedom from sin and Satan. If you are ever free, truly free, you too must wrestle with the forces that seek to keep you in bondage. One can live in a free land and yet remain in great bondage. There is a freedom to be more highly prized than political or physical freedom. It is that which belongs to the spirit of man and his conscience.

Albert Schweitzer wrote, "As we stand in the world, bound with a thousand bonds, we gradually can shake off the effects of its powerful shackles only if we achieve inward freedom, knowing that, come what may, worldly chains will have no power over us."

Jesus taught, "If the Son therefore shall set you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36.)

Paul wrote, "Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey, whether of sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness?" (Rom. 6:16.)

Reinhold Neibuhr said, "Man is most free in the discovery that he is not free." Responsibility and freedom are twin brothers. One is responsible only if he is free, but one is free only if one is responsible. Liberty can be secured only by accepting awesome responsibility.

Even in the days when the apostles and disciples were beaten and imprisoned, yet were they free. It is ironic indeed that when Paul and Silas were bound in Philippi, it was the jailor who was not free. The prisoners were singing and praying through the night after being beaten. It was the jailor who asked, What must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:30.) He was bound; they were free. The Kingdom of God cannot be captured, imprisoned or destroyed. Paul wrote, "Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evildoer, even unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound." (2 Tim. 2:9.)

I want to enumerate some of our freedoms in Christ. We need to know and cherish these freedoms. They are more important than living in a free country or living as a free citizen. These have been obtained at great price.

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Tim. 1:7.)

"Spirit of fear" is inclusive of all earthly fears. Those without Christ and the knowledge of our freedom in Him are bound with many abnormal fears. But Christ has given us power, love, and a sound mind. This means a mind that is sober, able to reason and understand, a mind that is not afflicted with unhealthy thoughts and unfounded apprehensions.

Solomon wrote to those who are young, "When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yea, thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither the desolation of the wicked when it comes. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken." (Prov. 3:24-26.)

"The wicked fleeth when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion." (Prov. 28:1.)

"For he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." (Heb. 13:5-6.)

It is interesting that when John lists the traits of those who will be lost in the Judgment, he does not begin with those who are ungodly and who have done terrible deeds against others. He wrote, "He that overcomes shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Rev. 21:7-8.) We might ask, Why are the fearful named among these? Because to fear means that one does not trust God. It means that those being persecuted denied Jesus. Someone has rightfully said, If we fear God, we need not fear anyone or anything else. The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7) and wisdom (Prov. 9:10).

We need not fear even death. "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Heb. 2:14-15.)

What God does for us if similar to what a mother does for a child who awakens in the night and is frightened. The mother takes the child in her arms and gently rocks and pats the child. When the child trembles and whines, the mother does not speak or try to explain. She simply says, Shhhhh, shhhhh, shhhh. The fears of the child are abated. He becomes drowsy and falls quietly into peaceful sleep.

How harsh are human judgments! How often are we all judged by others! We should be thankful that the Lord has set us free from human judgments. This does not mean that they will not be made against us, but rather that they have no power over us. We can disregard all such judgments. The Lord has, in fact, condemned all such actions by man who is so prone to judge.

"Who are thou that judgest another man’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Yea, he shall be holden up, for God is able to make him stand." (Rom. 14:4.)

"Let us not therefore judge one another any more, but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way." (Rom. 14:13.)

"Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows." (Rom. 14:22.)

"Judge not that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged, and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matt. 7:1-2.)

"But with me it is a small thing that I should be judged of you or of man’s judgment. Yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified. But he that judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the heart and then shall every man have praise of God." (1 Cor. 4:3-5.)

"Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaks evil of his brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if thou be a judge of the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy. Who art thou that judges another?" (James 4:11-12.)

There are many reasons why man should not judge others spiritually. Among them are these: 1) You do not know all the facts. 2) Only God has the right to judge. 3) Man cannot know the spiritual relationship between another person and his God. 4) You will be judged by the same standard you use to judge another. 5) While you are judging another, someone may be judging you unworthy. 6) God is able to make his servants to stand in the Judgment.

We must learn the difference between preaching truth which carries necessary implications of God’s judgment and making judgments of our own upon our fellow man. Some appear to think that preaching God’s truth gives us the right to make God’s judgment upon people. It does not. The Bible commands us to preach the truth in love. It also commands us not to judge others. It does not follow that we can judge because we have God’s truth. We should be doers of God’s will, not judges of others in their response to God’s will. We must teach, but we must not judge.

Thank God that we are free from human judgments! No, this truth will not keep some people from judging. Some will likely keep on doing what they have no right to do. But their and our judgments of others can be totally disregarded. They are meaningless and have no power over us. We can reject them completely. The Lord’s judgment is the one we should be concerned about, not man’s.

The Bible teaches that we are free from the law of sin and death. "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." (Rom. 8:2.) There is only one law in Scripture and we are free of it.

"Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." (Rom. 7:4.)

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid!" (Rom. 6:15.)

Spiritually, these three things go together in Scripture. They are law, sin and death. Where one is found, the other two will also exist. If someone were to say that we are under law today, one must also say that we are under sin and death. Having some commandments from the Lord does not mean that we are under law. If so, then there are many laws in the Bible in addition to the Law of Moses. There is only one law. Repeatedly, the Bible writers will use the singular reference, the Law.

Law, sin and death are seen in Paul’s discussion in Romans 5. He wrote, "Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." (5:20-21.) Just as law, sin and death form a trinity of condemnation; grace, righteousness and eternal life form a trinity of salvation. We are free from the law of sin and death, so that we might find redemption through the grace of God and the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

We should be thankful that we are not under law. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." (Rom. 8:1.) Having a law and living under its demands bring serious consequences. Note the following:

"The law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live in them." (Gal. 3:12.)

"Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Rom. 3:20.)

"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace." (Gal. 5:4.)

"I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Gal. 2:21.)

"For I testify again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole law." (Gal. 5:3.)

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10.)

Being free does not mean that we have no responsibilities, as we have already indicated. A child might think that freedom means the right to do as we please. As adults we surely must understand that spiritual freedom means that we are now free to believe and to live holy lives. Now, at long last, with the law being laid to rest and the cross having its full impact upon us, we can choose to live by faith in a holy God. We now can develop our lives in the way God intended. The heart, being taught of God and touched by the message of His love, compels us to do his will; not grudgingly or of necessity or because there is a law for it or against it. If we are free inwardly, we are free indeed.