Mom bought my first bicycle for my eighth birthday from a neighbor girl for ten dollars. It only took a few minutes to learn to ride it, since I had practiced a little on my sister’s bike.
I was excited about my freedom, even though Mother marked out just how far I could go on our little neighborhood street. At first I couldn’t even go to the ends of the block, but had to stop and turn around at the end of Mrs. Samples’ yard.
When I stood up on the pedals and “pumped” hard, the bike flew and I was riding the wind, with my hair blowing out behind me. I had never enjoyed such freedom. I felt all grown up, able to go where I wanted to go, and as far as I wanted to go, at least as far as Mom would let me go.
When I got my driver’s license and first car, I experienced the same freedom, but better than ever. Of course, my mom put restrictions on my driving too, just as she had with my bicycling. I wasn’t allowed to drive out of the city limits, and when I did, she always found out. I never knew if the Lord told her or one of her lady friends.
We Americans treasure our freedom, but freedom comes with boundaries. My freedom ends where yours begins. We also have joint freedoms, freedoms that we all share. Our freedoms in the United States are based on a document that we treasure as the authority in our country—the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution defines our freedoms and who has those freedoms and who does not.
We Christians treasure our freedom too, freedom based on another document—the Bible. The Bible sets forth the basis of our freedoms, defines those freedoms, and states who has those freedoms and who does not. The basis of our freedom in Christ is His death, burial, and resurrection.
“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 the New King James Version.