Let Freedom Ring
- Noah Olson
- Jul 9
- 4 min read
The Liberty Bell was commissioned in 1752 to remind Pennsylvania of William Penn’s Constitution just 50 years prior.[1] It stands as a symbol of freedom, having the words from Leviticus 25:10 engraved on its surface. Four days after America's birthday, this bell is said to have rung when the Declaration of Independence was first read publicly. LIBERTY was America’s cry! Another bell rang of liberty in Jerusalem, in A.D. 29, on a Friday at 3 p.m. Jesus rang it when He died.
Jesus is a liberator (Isaiah 61:1); some men refused to acknowledge that. Jesus preached about liberty and welcomed peace. Yet, His enemies could not imagine a carpenter from Nazareth being their liberator—they wanted a mighty King. Little did they know that their bondage was much more than Roman oppression. Little did they know that they were enslaved and without the Man standing right in front of them, they could never be free.
Shackles chain us, darkness encompasses us, and our choices restrain us. Like a criminal we sit in a prison, hoping to have our door opened for us. Jesus promises freedom. John recorded:
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word,
then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in
bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of
sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:31-36).
The Jews were so enamored with their system, nation, and traditions that they were blinded to liberty. They were bound to their past and could not appreciate Jesus’ new Constitution. The cross of Christ is Jesus’ liberty bell—from what does He free us?
He Frees us From an Enslaving Law (Galatians 5:1-4).
The Law of Moses was enslaving. No one kept it perfectly and it could never take away one’s sins (Hebrews 10:4). This law was carnal (Hebrews 7:16) and could never make anyone perfect (Hebrews 7:19). Yet, these Galatians were so interested in this system that they left Christ for it. The Hebrews’ writer warned of this way, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27).
American citizens would have been foolish to go back to England two days later to recount their liberating quest. To claim “we miss bondage and hate liberty” would have been utterly absurd! How often do we want to go back to a system that is enslaving?
Atheism? A system of carnal freedom.
Denominationalism? A system of religious hypocrisy.
Christianism? A system of laziness and lethargy.
Jesus freed us from enslaving systems—don’t go back to it!
Under the New Testament, we find God having some “problems”
He has a sight problem (Romans 3:24-28)—God can look at you with no sin!
He has memory problems (Hebrews 8:12)—God no longer holds sin against you!
He has fencing problems (Hebrews 4:14-16)—God welcomes you before the throne!
One would be crazy to change systems, seeing we are under the one that triumphs all! The cross is the Declaration of Independence from the Law of Moses!
He Frees us From an Enslaving Master (Romans 8:1-2).
Sin confines us like handcuffs to a wall. Jesus told the Jews that servants of sin keep going back to it. Before our Liberator we were confined to the sin of our past—what we did, the sin of our present—what we were doing, and the sin of our future—what we would do. We had no peace with our past life, were not satisfied with our present self, and could not find a silver lining for the future. Sin encapsulated our whole being—until Jesus rang the bell.
Paul felt this enslavement (Romans 7:24-25). There was no hope; sin was too blinding. There was no peace; sin was too oppressive. There was no comfort; sin was too condemning. But Jesus took sin upon Himself, being the sin offering (2 Corinthians 5:21) and nailed sin’s stains to His cross. He takes our guilt and sin away. He provides a way for peace, comfort, and hope. The Old Constitution could do no such thing (Romans 8:3), but Jesus' new way could! Paul declared “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38-39). Sin bound us to its fetters and provided only earthen hope and pleasure, but Jesus freed us from such a master. NOW we can find assurance (Romans 8:1). The cross is the Declaration of Independence from sin!
He Frees us From an Enslaving Death (Hebrews 2:15).
Death scares people. Death surrounds people. Death binds people. Sin brought death (Genesis 2:17; Romans 5:12; Romans 6:23). The only hope you had while bound was death. Thankfully, Jesus owned the keys to life and death (Revelation 1:18). He closed the doors to death at the cross.
While Jesus' sacrifice did not stop physical death, it did put an end to spiritual death. This was our greatest fear. Hell. The endless suffering of the wicked. This is where we were going; it was our future. But Jesus took our place in the book of death and transferred it to the book of life (Revelation 3:5). Nothing in THIS life can hurt you, because you have a home waiting for you. Even in the harshest of pain the Christian looks forward. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25-26). The cross is the Declaration of Independence from Hell!
Satan Binds us, Sin Blinds us, God finds us, but Jesus signed us! Jesus signed His name at the bottom of the bill when He gave His last breath (cf. John 19:30). America has the Liberty Bell, but we have the cross! Will you come and be set free today?
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