On this day America celebrates her liberty. To many people, it’s just another occasion to get high and carouse at the various festivities, bars and nightclubs. Of all freedoms our nation has secured the greatest one in my opinion is freedom of religion. It is a great thing socially, but has serious complications spiritually. Although I am grateful for that liberty, since there is no law forbidding any religion in this nation, it means that each individual must take the responsibility to guard against deception.

The fact is, there can only be one true religion. The rest must necessarily be false. A perfect God would not authorize many different religions to know and obey Him. He gave us His word whereby we might know what is true and what is false. What became known as Christianity is the only religion that is in agreement with His word. However, at the present even Christianity has become riddled with heresy to the extent that many churches and even entire denominations cannot truthfully be called Christian. Those factions pose a grave danger to anyone that does not know God’s word and that does not pray.

I am convinced that we have entered the final period when all remaining Bible prophecy will be fulfilled. We are witnessing the formation of a one-world government and a one-world religion. Cancerous hedonism and antichrist spirits are rising in the world system with incredible deception and apostasy inundating Christianity. Multitudes of people have failed to accept the responsibility of self-preservation that comes with liberty. As a result they are deeply deceived and many professing Christians have become apostate.

Therefore, as I celebrate Independence Day with my family, I cannot help but think about the millions of individuals in this nation that have lost their liberty and do not yet realize it. They accepted bondage offered under the guise of liberty. I also think about the millions Christians in other nations that are imprisoned or that live each day in full knowledge that it could be their last day of freedom or life. However, they lost and are losing their social liberty and lives because they would not give up their liberty in God. They pay the ultimate price for what professing Christians in this democratic nation give away without a thought or care.

A man that I had a great deal of respect for once said, “Only the free can set people free.” I read with great sadness that he had begun promoting paganism disguised as new revelation and is a leader in promoting ecumenism with Roman Catholicism. It was another blunt reminder that the responsibility for our spiritual liberty is ours. God provides us the means, but as free moral agents we must do more than merely confess that we believe. Lip service does little to deter the pressing contamination of sin, deception, and bondage. There must be a heart-based commitment that is nurtured by God’s word and prayer. Surprisingly, a large number of professing Christians do not believe this truth. They believe that once a confession of faith in Christ is made, there is nothing they can do to lose salvation. That is like disbanding our military and trusting in our Declaration of Independence.

I do not intend to debate anyone about the security of their salvation. Each person will ultimately face the consequences of his or her choices and beliefs. I will only say that any doctrine that permits one to be less than fully surrendered to God does not harmonize with the Scriptures. Doctrines that give us liberty to sin at will and insist that God must protect us from the eternal consequences are what have diminished love and respect for him. Further, they have allowed people to indulge in and even support apostasy with no fear of eternal consequences. Liberty came at a price; the blood of a perfect Lamb, Christ Jesus.

Finally, Over 3 ½ decades ago I entered a covenant with the Almighty God that promised me liberty and freedom from sin. Some eternal day in the future I will enter the celestial city and into God’s righteous kingdom. There will be no more sorrow, pain, sickness or death. Evil cannot enter. Slick liars and other charlatans will not gain entrance. I intend to do whatever is necessary to insure that I am not cheated out of that privilege. It means that I have to know God’s word, pray, never deny Christ Jesus, and be willing to stand up for and defend the truth. I must fight the good fight of faith for my liberty whatever the costs just as our military fought and are still fighting to keep our nation free from foreign dominance. That is the responsibility that comes with liberty. If we want to remain free, we must know the enemy and his tactics, and be willing to protect our liberty. We must count the cost and be willing to pay the price. If not, Satan will offer us a liberty that is in fact bondage. Individuals that do not wish the confinement of true Christianity will accept his offer. If we lose our spiritual liberty in such a manner, all other liberty is worthless.

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”  (1 Peter 1:13-19)

“ Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your bodyand in your spirit, which are God’s.”  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)