Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - June 16/59

Contributor - H. T. Rozendaal

Title - Be Free

Topic - Canada Day

At this season of the year two great peoples in whom we are interested and with whom we are acquainted approach their great national holidays. The United States of America are drawing near to their independence day and Canada approaches her Dominion day. Both will celebrate their freedom. While Canada maintains and enjoys a certain bond with the United Kingdom she enjoys a rich measure of self rule and freedom. And the United States enjoy their full sovereignty. The people of these two nations will be thinking much of the freedom they so highly prize during the coming days.

There are two great verses in Scripture that speak to us of a very highly prized liberty that we can celebrate every day of the year and which we ought to enjoy at all times. John 8 :32 tells us, "Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth small make you free", and II Cor. 3 :17 says to us, "Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty."

The sad thing about our national holidays is that we may as a people boast of our liberty, and make a big day of it while we are as individuals still slaves and very far from free. The message of the Gospel is one of freedom indeed.

As long as the Jews continued to hedge themselves about and limit themselves by their concept of the law, they missed a great freedom. They could boast of their freedom because of their relation to Abraham; but they still continued servants of the Roman Empire. They still continued in the servitude of a life view that often irked. It was the view that Peter, in Acts 15, says, "neither we nor our fathers were able to bear".

This life-view brought on "precept upon precept, line upon line" and prompted many to criticize and persecute while they, dissembling, sought escape from its bondage. They found fault with the apostles who rubbed out a little grain on the sabbath day, and with the Lord who healed a withered hand or an infirm woman on the sabbath day; and all the time they failed to find the freedom for themselves and their fellow man that all so keenly craved.

Now the Truth could lift them above this cramped and unsatisfactory experience. Being with the Lord, knowing the Truth, would certainly turn them from making their life one of bondage to irksome rules and customs. It would make their life one of conviction and devotion. Then they would not determine their loyalty by their adherence to a set of rules which was the touchstone of an impotent concept. Then they would experience a great joy in His service. That would be freedom.

Does the knowledge of the Truth make us free today? Is the Spirit of the Lord in us to give us liberty; liberty from the bonds of sin into which we so easily fall when we are boasting of our freedom? Will it be possible for us to make much of our political freedom while we're evidencing our spiritual bondage? Will we while we "do the town" still show that we're slaves and not master of our souls? Or will ours be a freedom which in joyful subjection to the Saviour gives evidence of our freedom to choose to be His servants?

Does the knowledge of the Truth make us free today? Does it free us from the bondage which is the lot of every unredeemed soul? For we were indeed born in sin and moved in a sinful environment; were indeed slaves to sin. We preferred to move in such an environment; preferred it because we did not know it as sinful, degrading, condemning. Our eyes were not open to the Truth. Have we now come to see things as they are because the Spirit has given the Truth to shed light on our life and reveal to us that Jesus came to save us? Do we know, above all things, cleave unto Him? Will the freedom of the Spirit teach us a subjection to the Spirit that will give us a freedom that exalts and ennobles? Let your celebration of your liberty be one that evidences real Freedom. Let it be one that you can celebrate every day of your life.

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