GOD, Author of Liberty

Definition of Liberty

(n.) The state of a free person; exemption from subjection to the will of another claiming ownership of the person or services; freedom; -- opposed to slavery, serfdom, bondage, or subjection.(n.) Freedom from imprisonment, bonds, or other restraint upon locomotion.(n.) A privilege conferred by a superior power; permission granted; leave; as, liberty given to a child to play, or to a witness to leave a court, and the like.

In what words does the Bible describe the bondage of Israel in Egypt?
"And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage." Exodus 2:23. ( James 5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. )

Who heard their cries for help?
"And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob." Exodus 2:24.

What did God tell Moses to do?
"Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of
Egypt." Exodus 3:9,10.

In giving His law to His people, how did God describe Himself?
"I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." Exodus 20:2.

What did God do to protect Israel against slavery?
"And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou shalt furnish
him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day." Deuteronomy 15:12-15.

"Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." Exodus 22:21. (compare with 2 Corinthians 1:2-4. 2 "Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God".)

What was one of the reasons that Israel should keep the Sabbath?
"And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." Deuteronomy 5:15.

What proclamation was made every fifty years?
"And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family." Leviticus 25:10.

Because Israel failed to do this, became oppressive and forsook the Sabbath, what did God do?
"Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you
to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth." Jeremiah 34:17. (See also Jeremiah 17:24-27; 2 Chronicles 36:19-21.)

What fault did the God of heaven find with Israel's religious gatherings?
"Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high." Isaiah 58:3,4."

What does God set forth as the fast acceptable to Him?
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal
thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" Isaiah 58:6,7.

Why did Christ come to this world?
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." Luke 4:18.

In what condition are those who commit sin?
"Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." John 8:34.

Why was Christ's name to be called "Jesus"?
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21.

What lies at the root of all sin?
"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:15.
"What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." Romans 7:7.

Which passage of Scripture reveals that all men should have an equality of human rights?
"Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD." Leviticus 19:18.

What rule of life has Christ Himself given to guide us in such unselfish living?
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12.

Who alone can remove the selfishness from the hearts of men?
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12. (See also 1 John 1:9.)

Who, alone, then, is able to give to men genuine freedom?
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:36.

What was the attitude of Christ toward unbelievers?
"And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." John 12:47.

What attitude did Jesus say should control all of His disciples?
"But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you,
shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Mark 10:42-45.

Wherever the Spirit of God is guiding in men's lives, what is always present?
"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2 Corinthians 3:17.

What kind of worship can alone be acceptable to God?
"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that
worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:23,24.

May we all enjoy this Liberty as we worship our Lord GOD in Spirit and in Truth.