Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Monday August 3, 2009

As I set out to put black marks on this white page, the ole mind was as blank as the page, when out of nowhere, bam, a statement from a gifted orator of the past flashed in the vast blankness. I immediately speared said statement.

The flashing statement is the last part of a famous speech given on this day, in 1857 at Canandaigua, New York. The speech expounded on the awful cost of liberty and foreshadows the coming conflict over slavery in our fair land. While the clouds of civil war frame the speech, the content is true for all time and all places.

The statement that flooded my memory:

"The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress."

Frederick Douglas closed his speech on that long ago day with the above words. They are enduring words of fire. The words immediately preceding give deep insight to our time:

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue until they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both."

The ridiculous levels to which the American people are being subjected because "some terrorist might get us" caused me to pause and ponder the words of Douglas. The difference between a terrorist and a tyrant is simple; the terrorist operates under the banner of real or imagined wrongs, even religious zealotry. The tyrant operates under the color of law, law which by its very nature violates basic human liberty.

Strange enough, the principles against physical terror/tyranny apply in the spiritual realm.

Due to the all sufficient sacrifice of Christ we are told a wonderful truth for spiritually free people: Romans 6:14 "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." The idea is "You must not permit SIN to reign over you as a tyrant." Being made free in Christ we are free to be/do right.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2009 Use with credit

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