Posted by
ValiantForTruth on Friday, February 18, 2011 3:25:12 PM
What drives the urge for liberty?
Re: http://townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/2011/02/18/liberty,_21st_century-style
Great question, but where is the answer? Why not start with the origins of liberty that came to America? To understand liberty we must begin where the Bible begins. Because of sin, men have always enslaved other men. For liberty to exist it's origin must be able to overcome sin.
In the Old Covenant it was Moses proclaiming the authoritative Word of God that brought an end to Israel's captivity in Egypt. But sin in Israel led them again into captivity. Physical slavery is but a figure of man's real bondage. Given the doctrine of depravity how can men escape the bondage of their own will? The answer is given in the New Covenant prophesy from Isaiah...
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound..." [Isaiah 61:1]
We cannot begin to understand liberty until we consider the significance of this statement quoted by Christ in Luke 4 and His comment that this Scripture was fulfilled in their hearing.
The truth is that God drives the urge for liberty by freeing men from their spiritual bondage to the sin that enslaves them. When men come to know spiritual liberty and understand what it means to be released from their captivity in sin, then under the same authority of the infallible Word of God they will begin to consider liberty in the political realm as well. The age of American liberty came from an open and authoritative Bible. The authority of kings and priests became subject to the ultimate authority of Jesus Christ over all things. Liberty cannot exist nor will it long remain unless we proclaim the same liberty that Christ proclaimed.