The historic conclusion of Patrick Henry's address in 1775 at Richmond,
Virginia rings true to us living today. He concluded, “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!”
In the reality of human existence, there are indeed only two choices for
each of us – liberty or death. Those of us who have attained personal
accountability, stand condemned before God because of our sins. By
inspiration.
Paul pronounced, in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God”. The sins we have committed stand us worthy of a
frightening penalty. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death but the
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The only relief from this death sentence is to be freed from that which
condemns us to it – our sin. Ironically, that freedom requires a death of
its own.
Christ Gives Us “Liberty” From Sin. The bible says in 2nd Corinthians 5:21, “For
he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him”.
To gain that liberty, we must die with Him, then burying the “old man”
through baptism into the death of Jesus. Because our sinful self has
died and been buried with Christ, we who have undergone this process
stand freed – at liberty – from sin.
Liberty from sin, however, does not imply liberty to do whatever we
please, the bible says in 1 Peter 2:16: “As free, and not using your
liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God."
Freedom from Sin Requires Obedience As Paul in Romans 6:17 says,
“But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have
obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you”.
This illustrates, our liberty is not acquired by being passive. Becoming
free requires action on our part – obedience from the heart of that to
which we have been delivered by the instruction of God's word.
Even our Lord emphasized the importance of baptism being relative to
our salvation when He said in Mark 16:16, “He who believes and is
baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be
condemned”.
When we look at sin, it is important to realize that there is no “gray
area” in God's eyes. We are either free from sin, through God's grace in
Christ, or we die in sin –
“Liberty or death,” as Patrick Henry put it. And as Mr. Henry noted, the
outcome depends on what course we choose to take. We can choose
either to die to sin and live in Christ, obeying His will, or we can turn a
deaf ear to the Lord's commands, remain disobedient, and die in our
sins Jesus said in John 8:24, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die
in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins”.
Moses in Deuteronomy reminds the new generation of the importance
of obedience. That same obedience stands today.
Deuteronomy 30:15-19:
15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
16 In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;
18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.
19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
We have a opportunity to live, to live in Christ Jesus.
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