Happy Independence Day! Do you know what took place on this day in the year 1776?
What a wonderful day in our nations history, to be thankful to the Lord for our nation and the liberty we enjoy here. May we also never take for granted and be very thankful for the freedom we have in sharing the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (sola fide) with others. One day in our country, it may not be so.
Please continue to pray for the men and women who are faithfully defending our nation and fighting for democracy around the world--especially in Iraq.
Dr. Stephen Olford, a friend of mine who was the finest orator of the gospel of our time and the last of the great mid-twentieth century "old school" revivalist preachers, passed away this past year. As only he could say in an economy of words, he defined freedom as this: "Freedom is not the desire to do what we want: but the power to do what we ought." May we each do "what we ought" for the glory of the Lord in obedience to His Word each day.
Grace and peace to you,
Steve
1 Timothy 2:1-4
Monday, July 04, 2005
Happy Fourth of July--Independence Day
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1 comment:
Steve,
I love and agree with the comment by Dr Olford. I would add that many seem to miss the distinction between freedom and liberty. To paraphrase the good doctor, "Freedom is the license to do whatever gratifies us, liberty is the power to do what is right."
Put another way, freedom is the absence of any encumbrance or restriction on our behavior or actions. Liberty implies a set of rules or a structure that checks our behavior through a "network of restraint and order" as Hanna Fenichel Pitkin put it.
Excellent post! Amen and may God continue to bless America.
James @ Right Face!
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