Maintaining our freedom
Rev. James T. Akers
Friday, July 27, 2007
“Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1
During the American Revolution, the men who swayed Benedict Arnold to commit treason also approached Gen. Joseph Reed. They offered Reed more than they offered Arnold.
When they had outlined their offer, Reed declined the bribe and said: “I’m really not worth purchasing, but no amount of money from your rich British King can buy me!”
There have always been people who are swayed from their allegiance to either God or country by financial gain. For others, neither fame or money can tempt them to betray their ideals.
The Christian writer, J. Wilbur Chapman, once said: “Temptation is the tempter looking through the keyhole into the room where you are living; sin is your releasing the lock and making it possible for him to enter.”
It is no exaggeration to say that the moral values of our founding fathers kept America from falling into political chaos, and enabled it to survive and grow at a time that most nations of the world gave us little chance of success.
We need to remember that our nation had its greatest influence for good and also its greatest security during the early 1800s, when we had little military strength and were not wealthy enough to give much away. Our greatness lay in producing exportable ideas. We proved that those who “feared God and no man” could, in freedom, produce a spiritual and intellectual richness and national security such as the world had never witnessed.
Our example caught the imagination of peoples everywhere. To them we were “liberty enlightening the world.” and under the impact of our example, tyranny and oppression receded before a rising tide of hope for the human condition.
Today, this hope still exists despite wars, revolutions and flawed political systems. The task for those who would lead us today is to find new ways to serve the world as did our forebears. We must think more in terms of what is the right thing to do and bring ourselves into harmony with the powerful force of morality.
Religion teaches — and history confirms — that there does exist moral law that is just as real as physical law. As French president Clemenceau wrote: “Freedom is nothing in the world but the opportunity for self-discipline.” May we, as God’s people, seek to recapture this virtue!
Prayer of the People
“Lord, grant us the courage to serve you as you deserve, and help us to find again your will for America.” Amen.
F “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. James T. Akers, state chaplain for the Kansas American Legion.