Created Free

One of the most significant marks of our being "in the image of God" is our ability to exercise our will and make choices. When we do these things in a way that is pleasing to God we reflect His character and bring Him Glory. When we are deprived of the ability to make these God-honoring free choices (by individuals, government, or other circumstances) then a major part of our God-likeness is unjustly suppressed. Freedom is a fundamental right from our creator that human beings will go to great lengths to preserve. That is why the writers of the Declaration of Independence stated that "Liberty" in an unalienable right received from our Creator. That's why those who founded the United States threw off the tyranny of the King. That's why Patrick Henry cried out, "Give me liberty or give me death." Everyone created in the image of God resonates with the deep call for freedom. I believe that a good deal of the discontent in America today centers around the fact that more and more people are sensing that their liberty is in jeopardy. Increasingly the freedom to choose what is pleasing to God is being taken from us. We are required to have health care or pay a "tax". When we pay for health care we are forced to pay for services and procedures that we may personally find offensive (i.e. for contraceptives). For a long time I wondered what the Biblical basis was for the founders declaring that liberty was an unalienable right. In a recent study of God's attributes (His will and freedom) which to some degree have been passed along to us made it clear that freedom of choice (not any choices, but those which are pleasing to Him, reflect His character and bring Him glory) is part of what it means to be an image bearer...to be made in the likeness of God. So indeed, liberty is an unalienable right and one which deep within our being we seek to defend. Tyranny attempts to suppress freedom and it is against such suppression those created in the image work to free themselves.