Some people are loud. It’s a fact. God has blessed them with good lungs and the ability to project. My coworker is one of these people (you know who you are). I, however, typically fall on the opposite end of the spectrum. I frequently speak too quietly to be heard, and have been accused of sounding like a ten-year-old.
Natural volume aside, Leviticus 25:10 tells us to “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” The dictionary defines “proclaim” to mean “announce officially or publicly” or “declare something one considers important with due emphasis.” Nothing surpasses the significance of enjoying liberty through Christ!
FONDNESS FOR FREEDOM
In America, we possess a particular fondness for freedom. During the Revolution, Patrick Henry passionately declared, “Give me liberty or give me death.” The patriots managed to secure our religious and civil liberties at great cost, and every day since then our military fights to protect our freedom. Students recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school, proclaiming “liberty and justice for all.” Clearly, it’s an understatement to say that freedom is important to Americans.
How much more important is freedom in Christ to believers? “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). Christ has made us new, whole, saving us from eternity spent apart from God. Let’s proclaim that from the hilltops with the joy that God intended for us!
FULFILLED AND COVERED
So often the world only hears Christians proclaim the negative. “Don’t do this; doing that is sinful.” The Law was a huge burden on the Jews. The Pharisees focused so intently on following it that they missed the big picture. The Law has been around for thousands of years: the world already knows what we’re against. We can’t expect unbelievers to want to live biblical lives because to them the preaching of the cross is foolishness (I Corinthians 1:18). Some of us have been so busy preaching the Law and worrying about the world’s sin that we’ve neglected proclaiming what we’re for.
When Christ came, He not only fulfilled the law, but covered sin forever (Matthew 5:17). He is far more concerned with what we do than don’t do. Do love Him. Do love others. Do go and teach all nations. If we as believers are living by the Spirit, then He will prune our old, sinful selves away anyway (John 15:2). But since unbelievers aren’t living by the Spirit, they aren’t going to change their sinful ways simply because we tell them to. Instead, let’s get to the heart of the matter and proclaim the positive – freedom in Christ – by telling the world the Good News of salvation and let the Holy Spirit do His redeeming work.
Praise God that in America we have the freedom to communicate true liberty in Christ! So, whether your voice is as loud as an air horn or as quiet as a mouse, proclaim Christ’s liberty as often as possible throughout our great nation, and the world. May God bless America!
Family Radio Staff