Foundations

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of all knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. --Pro 1:7 (NIV).

It was not always this way. There was a time when I was not concerned about from where thought originates, whether my own or someone else's. Roughly a dozen years ago I came to know the Lord and am now convicted with the belief that God is the standard bearer for all ethics and philosophical thought. Without God, we would have no conception of right and wrong. Sound incredible? How can we know what is right or wrong? Does our morality derive from the shifting sand of our emotions?; from very intelligent people?; God is clearly the basis of ethics and morality. For a better treatment of this, read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis; essentially Lewis demonstrates that our morality is absolute and comes from somewhere outside of ourselves.

Built on the idea of God establishing our morality is the premise that God loves humanity as a whole, and as individuals. Two Scripture passages support both claims. From the NIV:

John 3:16 -- "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Luke 15:4-7 -- "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents that over ninety nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

God loves humanity, and he loves us as individual people. For what reason did he save us? To be slaves? or to be free?

Gal 5:1 -- "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

2 Cor 3:17 -- "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

There are other Scripture references that support the concept of freedom, and I would interchangeably use the word 'liberty.' But even without the aid of Scripture, search your own soul and spirit. When you search the purer chambers of your heart. Has not God instilled into the the heart of man a yearning to be free? If this is not the case, why is slavery considered such an evil blotch upon history? Why do prisons need walls or guards? Why have numerous people groups throughout history, held under tyranny, left their homeland in search of a life of liberty in a country not their own?

Liberty! Freedom! Particularly individual liberty & freedom, is a precious, desirable & valuable commodity. Problematically, it is very easy to take liberty for granted. While it is a natural & God given right, it is a commodity that needs to be fought for and protected, otherwise it can and will be lost. Although a cliche', it nevertheless holds true: Freedom is not free, its price is vigilance. Once lost, getting it back is increasingly difficult. Those who seek power & control are as fervent about destroying our freedom as those who fought for it are about keeping it.