FREEDOM IS NOT FREE
Bob Dees
Director, LU Institute for Military Resilience
©2014 RFD LLC
“It was for FREEDOM that Christ set us free;”
(Galatians 5:1a, NASB, Caps inserted)
The Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., contains the simple inscription “Freedom is not
free.” This is certainly true, as evidenced by the many sacrifices of our brave military men and
women over centuries of selfless service to our nation. The United States of America is “The
Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave” because of our brave military of the past, present,
and prayerfully the future.
Freedom also comes with responsibility. It would be tragic and foolish for America to willingly
sacrifice the freedoms which have been purchased at such a high price by those public servants
wearing the cloth of our nation. Hence, freedom requires constant vigilance and diligence to
preserve and pass along to future generations. Each American citizen and statesman bears the
responsibility to be a good steward of the freedom which has been granted to each of us. As
reflected in the recently published Resilient Nations (Dees, 2014), responsible citizens engage in
personal spiritual renewal, strong traditional families, civic responsibility, cultural change agents
across the seven mountains of culture (arts & entertainment, business, education, family,
government, media, and religion), and prayer warriors and merchants of hope. Likewise,
responsible statesmen who truly safeguard freedom must be selfless public servants, guardians of
truth, and principled collaborators for change.
[For more explanation of these roles of responsible citizenship and statesmanship, as well as the
role of “We the Church;” you can refer to www.ResilienceTrilogy.com and the GOVT 376
Resilient Nations course being offered by the Liberty University Helms School of Government
in Fall 2014.]
In an analogous way, spiritual freedom is not free. The high cost, the ultimate sacrifice, for each
of us was paid for by Jesus Christ. The full text of Galatians 5:1 states, “It was for freedom that
Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”
As with earthly citizenship, spiritual freedom carries responsibility with it, beginning with this
Galatians challenge to “Keep Standing Firm” and “Do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery
(to sin).” Later in Galatians 5:13, the Apostle Paul exhorts further, “For you were called to
FREEDOM, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but
through love serve one another.”
Whether in the spiritual domain or in our roles as earthly citizens, the seeds of our own pride,
apathy, and destruction are often borne out of the very FREEDOM which devolves from a
precious treasure to an opportunity for self-seeking narcissism. Hence, stewardship of our sacred
spiritual and temporal FREEDOMs which have been purchased with the blood of Christ and with
the blood of American patriots requires continual gratitude, vigilance, and selflessness.
Just as the Galatians (and many in today’s Church) wandered from their spiritual fervor, far too
many Americans have likewise wandered from their patriotic fervor based on respect for God
and respect for man. In short, in both of our roles as earthly and as heavenly citizens, we are
called to FREELY serve one another through LOVE. May it be so!
Respectfully in Christ,
Bob
Bob Dees
LU Institute for Military Resilience
www.LUOnline.com/IMR
What do YOU think about the responsibilities of citizenship???
Are you grateful for your freedom in Christ and in America?
What else to the Scriptures say about these topics?
Let us know on the LU Military Affairs Facebook page