At this time of the year, the voices of great American patriots whose contributions made ours “the land of the free and the home of the brave,” still ring in our ears. Perhaps none rings louder than the voice of the great statesman, Patrick Henry, who said, “Give me liberty, or give me death.” Without knowing it, Henry uttered a powerful phrase that is as applicable in the spiritual realm as in the physical.
According to the scriptures, all men are born servants of Sin. “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. (John 8:34).” Our taskmaster, Sin, desires only to bring us to eternal ruin. “For the wages of sin is death… (Romans 6:23a).”
But, seeing our plight, God has provided a ransom, that we might be set free. “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28).” As our national freedom came at the cost of much bloodshed, so our spiritual freedom was purchased with blood—the blood of Jesus Christ. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,… But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1Peter 1:18-19).”
The Apostle Paul put it like this, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1Corinthians 15:3-4).” We are told simply to, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, (Ac 16:31).
Patrick Henry’s words, “Give me liberty or give me death” still ring true in the hearts and minds of men who love freedom. In the spiritual realm, eternal death is sure unless we accept the liberty afforded us by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, who said, “…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10).”