At a Glance
Liberty is one of the most important values in American culture, but it has come under threat from both internal and external sources. Freedom has become redefined to be agency without limit—and especially without God. Not only must our choices be unlimited, but others must actively affirm them. But freedom, virtue, and faith are linked, and as other sides of the golden triangle fall, freedom falls with it. Join the conversation today as we discuss what it really means to be free and what we must do to keep it.
What You'll Hear
Chapter 1: Defining Freedom (1:33)
- There are many different kinds of freedom. Religious, economic, political freedom, and more. The most important is spiritual freedom.
- Biblical freedom is about making choices under God’s moral law.
- Secular freedom is about making choices without regard for right or wrong.
Chapter 2: Consequences of Secular Freedom (16:21)
- When freedom loses truth, it becomes chaos.
- Even secular people realize that you cannot be completely free from reality.
- The world works better when people submit their freedom to the greater good rather than doing whatever they want.
Chapter 3: The Golden Triangle of Freedom (31:06)
- Freedom requires virtue. Virtue requires faith. Faith requires freedom because you cannot force Faith.
- The founding fathers of the United States of America understood this.
- Freedom requires Christianity.
Chapter 4: A Life of Freedom (46:11)
- Abundant life only happens in freedom.
- Behind the commandments is the choice to obey or not.
- God is free and made us in His image.
- He wants us to respond to him freely, not because we are forced to.
- He wants us to express ourselves creatively.
- What we mean for evil, God means for good.
Chapter 5: Threats to Freedom (52:35)
- Internally, as Americans redefine freedom.
- Externally, as foreign powers and business interests seek control over the world.
- The woke ideology limits freedom.
Chapter 6: How We Respond (1:01:12)
- We must trust the Lord.
- Champion religious liberty.
- Raise your family to love freedom and the Lord.
Using the link above, you can read the transcript, listen along, and adjust the speed of the podcast while you listen.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
2 Corinthians 3:17
Go Deeper
A Free People’s Suicide: Sustainable Freedom and the American Future
A Book by Os Guinness
It is not enough for freedom to be won. It must also be sustained. Cultural observer Os Guinness argues that the American experiment in freedom is at risk. Summoning historical evidence on how democracies evolve, Guinness shows that contemporary views of freedom–most typically, a negative freedom from constraint– are unsustainable because they undermine the conditions necessary for freedom to thrive. He calls us to reconsider the audacity of sustainable freedom and what it would take to restore it.
If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty
A Book by Eric Metaxas
If You Can Keep It is at once a thrilling review of America’s uniqueness—including our role as a “nation of nations”—and a chilling reminder that America’s greatness cannot continue unless we embrace our own crucial role in living out what the founders entrusted to us. Metaxas explains that America is not a nation bounded by ethnic identity or geography, but rather by a radical and unprecedented idea, based on liberty and freedom for all. He cautions us that it’s nearly past time we reconnect to that idea, or we may lose the very foundation of what made us exceptional in the first place.
Quotes
“The problem with this ‘redefined freedom’ is when you get rid of limits, you get rid of freedom.” Scott (13:21)
“There’s a direct link between the Spirit of the Lord and freedom.” John (14:22)
“Freedom is absolutely conjoined with the truth. And as soon as you take those apart, you lose reality.” Luke (18:41)
“Ultimately, freedom is a radical ability to forgive, love, and serve as Jesus did.” John (24:12)
“Freedom requires virtue, virtue requires faith… And then the triangle connects back to freedom, and faith requires freedom. “ Scott (35:56)
“At the level of a society, if everyone’s doing evil, you can’t have freedom. You have chaos.” Scott (41:21)
“Without a moral people who could be trusted with freedom, you are going to end up with tyranny.” Scott (43:51)
“We don’t have an abundant life when we are in bondage to our own ways, our own thoughts, our own sins. It’s only with the Spirit of the Lord living in us can we really live that abundant life. And it’s no surprise that a life lived abundantly is a life that’s a great gift to others, and it really shines a light for the gospel.” John (46:11)
“God didn’t make us just wired to love like robots, he gave us the choice to love the Lord our God with all our heart. He gave us the choice to love our neighbor as ourself, to seek the highest good. So really, behind those is this attribute of freedom.” Luke (47:10)
“We respond to freedom the same way we do for a lot of things, which is trust in the Lord. Pray. Contend for the things that we know are biblical truths… And let examples of Christian freedom, of healthy families, of healthy churches, of healthy neighborhoods do what only they can do. Be that example. And let people compare that to the redefined freedom of the world.” John (1:02:08)
