“Give Me Liberty or …”

“Give me liberty, or give me death.” Today these words resound with great meaning for us as Americans. We have just celebrated our liberty as a nation. But, for all the fireworks and pageantry, we must wonder how many of us comprehend what our liberty really means. Most of us have never lived under tyranny. Not knowing how terrible that would be, we tend to take our liberty for granted. As with anything taken for granted, we tend not to value it very highly. If we were ever to lose it, then we would value it indeed. Those who have lived under tyranny can tell us just how wonderful these freedoms are that we take for granted.

Perhaps you saw the movie Independence Day, starring Will Smith & Jeff Goldblum. Extraterrestrial aliens apparently decided that they needed to destroy the population of Planet Earth. We are viewed like cockroaches and they need to do a little house cleaning.

Now when you are faced with such a foe, you really only have two options. Those options come down to liberty or death.

Indeed, these are the only two options that Patrick Henry saw as he tried to convince others to fight. Let’s look at his great statement in context. It comes from a speech to Virginia Convention in Richmond on March 23, 1775:

“It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. The gentlemen may cry, Peace, peace! but there is no peace. The war has actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that the 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!”

There were only two options for Patrick Henry. And in a very real sense, there are only two options available for human kind. 

Also, in the spiritual realm there are only two choices. The first choice is spiritual liberty. The second choice is spiritual death.  All people everywhere could be placed in one of these two categories.  They are either spiritually alive or spiritually dead. And the good news is that God has opened the way to liberty for us all. It is good news in a world filled with bad news. The good news is that Jesus Christ suffered death so we could enjoy life. He endured death so we could enjoy liberty.

The good news begins by talking about death - the death of Christ. The Gospel teaches that Christ gave His life for us, by dying in our place and for our benefit. Why did Christ give His life for us? What motivated Him to make that kind of sacrifice? Actually, the answer is given in Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Christ gave His life for us because of love. He loves us.

Not only does the Gospel teach that Christ gave His life for us, it also teaches that Christ gives His life to us. We are told that we shall be saved through his life! Christ lives in order to liberate us.

He takes up His residence in us in order to empower us to live our lives in new ways. “How much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” Rom. 5:17. (See Gal. 2:20).

Unless we have a supernatural life given to us by a supernatural God, we will never be free. Instead of liberty, we will experience death. God’s grace is sufficient and powerful enough to deliver everyone from the power, penalty and presence of sin.

The price of freedom has always been death.  Patriots won our nation’s freedom by giving their lives to secure it.  Many over the years have given their lives to preserve it.  Jesus died so we could live and not die. Liberty or death - these are our choices.  I don’t know about you, but give me liberty.

(Pastor Samuel can be reached at   sskrouse@succeed.net or 696-0563)