BBD 07.02.04 The Abuse of Freedom
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The Burning Bush Devotional
(Over 13,000 subscribers in 75 countries)
07.02.04
The Abuse of Freedom
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are
lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. - 1
Corinthians 6:122.
The unanimous Declaration of Independence by the Thirteen Colonies in
Congress, July 4, 1776:
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to
dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to
assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to
which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect
to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes
which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that
among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure
these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People
to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its
foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to
them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Recently we took a trip and as we did we passed across several state lines.
We were never stopped or harassed by police authorities. We did not have to
obtain a permit. We traveled during the daytime and at night. We stayed at
the hotel of our choosing and ate where we wanted. Our itinerary changed at
times and we did not have to ask permission to alter it. Freedom is a
wonderful thing!
We have freedom in this country, as do many other countries in the 21st
Century. However, the founding fathers of the United States would never have
dreamed of what some people would do with that freedom.
Many use their freedom to use alcohol in excess and their freedom allows
them easy access to illegal substances which are harmful to them. There is
freedom to access pornography on the Internet and for years it has been
available on cable television. Not only do people watch this on their
computers and their television but also many go to clubs where there are
live performances. Adult merchandising of everything from lingerie to videos
is a booming business.
Of course, there are other abuses of freedom such as those who manipulate
their companies’ accounting practices to enable themselves to become rich at
the expense of others. In Oklahoma, an attorney made a will for a woman four
days after she was ruled incompetent giving himself and his family a
substantial amount of the estate. When reported to the state bar association
the attorney claimed he did not know it was against the rules to make a will
for someone in which he or his family benefited. The state bar association
declined to reprimand this man!
As Christians, we have great freedom and our Lord’s mercy is never ending to
those who have received Him as their Savior. The apostle Paul understood
this as he said, “All things are lawful for me…” Paul may not have read 1
John 1:9 but he understood it. However, the apostle also knew that, “…all
things are not helpful.” Paul then goes on to warn against sexual immorality
saying, “…Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and
the Lord for the body. …Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is
outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own
body (1 Corinthians 6:13c;18).”
Yes, we have freedom through Christ but that freedom came at a great cost -
we are not our own (1 Corinthians 6:20).
Copyright © 2004. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. On June 8, 1998 the email
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