Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death

“Give me liberty or give me death” is attributed to Patrick Henry in a speech he gave as he addressed the Virginia Convention in 1775. At this time of year we think on these types of things which helped form our nation and helped our forefathers decide to join together to fight against the tyranny directed toward this land by Great Britain. 

This same sentiment was also employed by our founding fathers as they forged together a document declaring our independence and used the phrase: Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Unfortunately, many only think about liberty or the freedoms we enjoy around the first part of the month of July or Memorial Day or some other day set aside for such thoughts and celebrations.    

Sadly, many fail to realize that a different liberty is attainable and is a premise well known by students of the Bible.  The Word of God of the New Testament is called the “Perfect Law of Liberty” by James as directed by the Spirit in James 1:25.   In Galatians 5:1 we see that having escaped the bondage of sin in obedience to the gospel, we are to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. He has made us free from sin through His blood which we contacted in the watery grave of baptism. 

It is also important to understand that in order to be blessed of God, we must continue in that “perfect law of liberty”.  It is understood as James 1:23-25 tells us that we cannot just hear the word and forget it, but must also be a doer of the work. “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

The blessing of which James wrote is to be realized not only in this life, but after this life as well. In John 12:48 we see what Jesus said would judge us.  “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”  

In James 2:12 we see that the words of James affirm what Jesus said.  “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.”

If we do not apply the Law of Liberty and live by it, we will be as those described in Revelation 21:8 and will take part in the second death. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Dennis Strickland

Just Enough to Get By

It has been my observation that many in this world have fallen into the trap of doing just enough to get by. This usually happens when we try to squeeze too much in because of various demands on our time. Our lives are filled with obligations and sometime we find it hard to put all our effort into each aspect.  As a result, we tend to develop the bad habit of doing just enough to get by in all the areas of life.    

Some people begin this practice when in school. They find that minimal effort still allows them to get by since a “C” is still a passing grade. This practice may continue when these people grow up and become involved in business. They find they can be an average employee and still take home enough in a paycheck to get by.    These often gripe and complain about those who advance and wonder how they do it, but it rarely bothers them to the degree they do something about it other than gripe and complain.  After all, they still get their check at the end of the week. Others find that just a little effort will work in their marriage relationship.  These tend to take the other person within this relationship with them for granted while they continue to do just enough to get by. 

What I am curious about is where this type of outlook is taught or promoted within the Bible?  I am certain that exactly the opposite is taught within the Sacred Writ. We see in Ecclesiastes 9:10 how to approach any and all things with which we may occupy ourselves in this life. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”

The same idea is also conveyed by Christ in Mark 12:30 after one man recognized that Christ had answered him regarding what the first commandment of all was. Christ’s response was:  “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

This previously had also been brought to the attention of Israel in Haggai 1:5-7 when the people of Israel had involved themselves in just enough to get by in the building of their own houses while allowing the house of God to lie in waste. “Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.  Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.”

Many of God’s people today are disappointing God in that they are trying to cheat the system by doing the least possible and expecting the best possible results. Don’t kid yourself into taking the Lord for granted or the commitment you made to God when you became His child. There is coming a day in which the Lord will separate folks into two groups.  One group will be those that put fort all their effort into serving God and doing His Will. These will be granted eternal rest and everlasting peace with God. However, the second group, those who made feeble attempts at service or tried to do just enough to get by will hear the words spoken by our Lord in Matthew 25:41:  “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”  

Are you willing to take a chance on your eternal destiny by doing what you consider to be just enough to get by, or are you going to  put yourself fully into your service to God and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling as the Philippian brethren were admonished to do in Philippians 2:12?   It is entirely your choice. Choose wisely.                                                                                                                            

Dennis Strickland

Lowering the Bar

When I was young I played a game with my brothers and sisters and other neighborhood kids that required the participants to jump over sticks held at various heights. These sticks would be raised with each round of the game and if you did not successfully “clear” the stick by jumping over it you’d be humiliated, muddy-kneed, and eliminated from the game. Sometimes in an attempt to “look out” for my younger siblings I would “lower the bar” for those which were younger and less athletic than the older kids. This allowed them “to think” they were included and accepted. I suppose this is a natural human instinct which is evidenced in our schools when grading is done on the curve and no kid is left behind. It is far easier to lower the bar than have one suffer the shame of not being passed with his classmates. 

Surely this must be a human action since God did not “lower the bar” for Cain in regard to his sacrifice (Genesis 4:4-5). God did not “lower the bar” for Noah in that the requirements for the Ark had to be met for Noah to survive the flood. God did not “lower the bar” for the other inhabitants of the earth in Noah’s day in that those that did not get on the Ark perished (Genesis7:23). In Moses day, in the wilderness when serpents were sent to bite the people, the bar was not lowered in that all who failed to look upon the fiery serpent provided by Moses as directed by God, died (Numbers 21:8-9). 

We could follow the history of man and mankind’s dealing with God and we will find that God never lowers the bar. Israel “lowered the bar” when it desired a king so they could be like the nations around them (1 Samuel 8:4-7). They continued to not only “lower the bar” but tore it down when the prophetJeremiah pleaded with them to return to God’s ways and be faithful in Jeremiah 6:16 and when they responded: “We will not walk therein.”

We see in the scriptures that God does not “lower the bar”, so does it not stand to reason that if we try to seek redemption in any other way than that which God has prescribed that we will fail to be victorious and will not receive that which He has prepared for the faithful? If “we” attempt to “lower the bar” to make others feel included and accepted, we attempt to circumvent God’s plan for redemption, and we too will be lost for eternity. 

Sadly, “lowering the bar” is evident in many congregations of the Lord’s church today. We see it in congregations when they no longer carefully consider the “thus sayeth The Lord” in everything but take the “pulse” of the congregation and allow that to be the basis for their decisions. 

Let us be careful not to “lower the bar” when it comes to our service to God, but rather seek to know what God wants us to do according to His Word and faithfully do it to the best of our ability while here of earth. Don’t be deceived. The bar may be lowered here on earth to accommodate more folks, but at the judgment, ”the bar” has been set by God and WILL NOT BE LOWERED. (John 12:48)

Dennis Strickland