Today's Devotional

February 1,  2006

 

Subject:  Security And Freedom 

2 Corinthians 3:17 -  "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

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Listening to the President's State of the Union address last night, I heard him talk at length about the need to defend freedom around the world and maintaining our security at home.  When I heard a response from a politician to his message, I heard the speaker say, we must do that also, but we must not sacrifice our rights for our security.  This is not a political statement but I think that is fundamentally impossible.  Every act of security causes a sacrifice of our individual freedoms to some degree and it must be so.  For to simply put locks on my doors requires me to carry a key or a code to unlock it at some time.  That is a simple case, but the more secure you want to be, the more sacrifice is necessary.  If there is a security threat that someone is going to poison us and we can prevent it by all taking a shot or a drug, then that would be necessary.  Every act of security costs us something.  Hey, many of us take flu shots every year to prevent catching a cold and I don't think most flu cases are lethal.  I don't understand then why some think that for something as lethal as stopping terrorism, we can do it without any sacrifices to our comfort and freedoms.  

Well the reality of all of this is that there is only one way to get freedom and security and even that takes sacrifice.  You must give up your life for the life of Jesus Christ.  He gives both security and freedom.  So realize today that while you're living this natual life, the scales will not balance.  To increase security will lessen some individual freedoms on this earth.  For those in Christ, the scale can be balanced right now, because the cross was the great balancing act on our behalf.  In Him we can have security and freedom and not have to choose one over the other. 

Carlen