The most famous statue in the United States is the Statue of Liberty. Many Americans are unaware that the image atop the base is the Roman goddess Libertas.Now we may not worship this goddess in the traditional manner. But it is not too much to say that our radical allegiance to self and independence is idolatrous worship, nor that such worship manifests itself in extravagant offerings of money spent and relationships sacrificed—even the sacrifice of the unborn. And if we worship freedom, we may become the personification of Libertas, unable to experience healthy dependence on God and others, even as others find they cannot depend on us. Freedom can ironically enslave us, crippling our service to God and others.
You are no longer a slave, but a son. Galatians 4:7
Sonship is conspicuously and radiantly free. The sons of God ought to fascinate and win the world by the range and grandeur of their freedom. Where others are bound, they must reveal themselves to be free. Is our freedom obtrusively prominent? Are we revelling in ‘the glorious freedom of the children of God’?
The real son is free from the bondage of sin. His life is delivered from the haunting wail of sunless and hopeless dejection.
The real son is free from the tyranny of self. He is not imprisoned by a small, exclusive, all-absorbing, egoistic, enslaving self. He has ‘a heart at leisure from itself to soothe and sympathize.’
The real son is free from the enslavement of the crowd. He is not daunted by the presence of the great and threatening multitude. God’s sons are free and bold and stand alone!
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