Why Freedom?
“Give me liberty or give me death!”
The emotional and emphatic declaration was the punctuation point on a speech given by Patrick Henry on March 20, 1775, as the Second Virginia Convention gathered to select delegates for the Continental Congress. It is likely you heard this famous phrase uttered at some point in recent weeks leading up to the 250th anniversary of America’s founding. It is one of the most well-known articulations of the belief that life must be infused with freedom if it is to have value. Consider the slightly expanded context of Henry’s closing lines:
“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
Henry’s speech is viewed as a pivotal moment—perhaps the pivotal moment—in the Convention’s ultimate decision to establish a committee that would send delegates to the Continental Congress. Henry chaired the committee, and Virginia’s delegates to the Continental Congress included George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
Today, the idea that liberty is worth risking death is almost universally accepted in much of the world. But why? What is it about freedom—and the closely intertwined idea of independence—that engenders such passion and even disregard for personal safety to attain it?
In short, why freedom?
The pages of scripture—Galatians 5 particularly—reveal a two-part answer worth considering today.
First, freedom is worth prioritizing because you were created and designed to be free! Galatians 5:1 says, “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.”
The freedom that Jesus has for you is not only worth risking your life for but was in fact worth Jesus giving His life for! Jesus loves you so much that He gave His life in order for you to be free (Jn. 3:16).
Next, freedom is not an end unto itself. Far from it! Galatians 5:13 tells you precisely why you have been granted freedom: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
Your freedom was worth everything to Jesus. But your freedom is not simply for you. It is meant to be spent and poured out for others. It is meant to be used in the same way Jesus used and spent His freedom for you.
Our first headline story this week in about the celebration of America’s 250th birthday. America’s story—both triumph and struggle—cannot be accurately told without including the central tenant of liberty. Both America’s founding and its continued thriving hinge on the belief that individual freedom is necessary for the benefit of the larger collective. It is a belief that has yielded astounding fruit and tremendous prosperity.
It is a result that should be unsurprising to you as a Jesus follower, because you were created for freedom, and you are to use that freedom in service to others.
Why freedom? Because your liberty was worth death to Jesus!