Freedom began

  Freedom began

 The writer of Genesis states,

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." 

                                                                                            Genesis 1:1.

  The Bible dose not debate the existence of God. It simply says "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" and leaves it there.

   Abba Hillel Silver wrote,

 "Faith in God is the strongest bulwark of a free society.  Human freedom began when men became conscious that over and above society and nature there is a God who created them...who fashioned them in His likeness, and that they are, therefore, possessed of intrinsic and independent significance and are endowed, as individuals, with original and irrevocable rights and authority." Abba Hillel Silver.

As I look at individuals around the world be they from primitive tribes to the most advanced society on earth, each person seems to instinctively know what is right and wrong. I cannot believe this is because of evolution, or a group of stone age men sitting around a rock and deciding what should be right and wrong.

Knowing right and wrong seems to be in our very DNA. I believe put there by God Himself.

In order to have true freedom we need to acknowledge there is a God and that God has given us freedom to do as we wish. That includes the right to do what is right or wrong according to Gods law.

Even Adam and Eve had complete freedom. They had the right to choose to obey God with respect to not eating of the tree of “the knowledge of good and evil”(Genesis 2:16). They chose to eat of it and suffered the consequences for doing so.

The same is true of people today. We have the choice to follow the basic rules God has set down for mankind or ignore them. Leaving us to accept the consequences of our actions. 

Thus my question for you the reader are you following Gods most basic of rules as listed in Exodus 20:2-17. Paraphrased here,

1/You shall have no other gods before Me.

2/You shall make no idols.

3/You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

4/Keep the Sabbath day holy.

5/Honour your father and your mother.

6/You shall not murder.

7/You shall not commit adultery.

8/You shall not steal.

9/You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10/You shall not covet.

Please think about it.

Submit?

Submit?
The Apostle Peter wrote,
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.  
For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.   Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.  1 Peter 2:13-17.
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.  
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” Romans 13:1,2.
Here is a couple of statements that are aimed squarely at Christians. It is telling us to submit to the governing authorities. This at a time when Christianity was being persecuted. Paul and most of the other apostles would be put to death by the governing authorities. However if we look carefully at why they were persecuted it was not because they rebelled against those authority. It was because of their faith, because of what they believed.
In following God’s law we may at times break mans laws especially if those laws are made by a dictatorship or other groups who fail to recognize God’s authority.
The early Christians refused to engage in emperor worship within the Roman empire. As a result many met their death. Never the less they obeyed God’s law.
Sometimes being a believer in Christ is in itself making a political statement to some governments. North Korea is perhaps the best example in our time. For whatever reasons the government of North Korea fears Christianity and thus persecutes it as do some other governments around the world.
Under such regimes no matter what a believer in Christ did. Even if they obeyed the laws of the land perfectly they would be persecuted, executed or put in jail all for their faith.
It was the same under Adolf Hitler. Christians did obey the laws set down by the German government of the day.
However Hitler and the Nazi party broke God’s laws making it impossible for many Christians to simply stand by and let him get away with genocide, the murdering of millions of Jews and others. Thus many helped hide Jews and others, some even being sent to concentration camps and dying for doing so.
As a Christians I believe as Paul and Peter are saying we are to obey the laws of the land. However when that law violates God’s law we must act. We must obey our conscience and God over man’s Law.
God gave man a basic set of Laws that are universal known as the Ten Commandments. They state,

You shall have no other gods before Me.

You shall make no idols.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

Keep the Sabbath day holy.

Honour your father and your mother.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

You shall not covet.

These laws are a bear minimum that Christians must follow. If governments violate these laws then Christians have no choice but to follow God’s laws for ultimately God will judge all.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes12:13,14.
Please think about it.