"And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented (of whom the world was not worthy)..." (Hebrews 11:36-38a)

Liberty is a very great blessing.  Freedom of speech and action is a wonderful privilege, much abused and much underestimated.  Freedom is never free!  It is always bought at a great price and maintained by a great struggle.

THE FIRST FREEDOM WHICH WE REFLECT UPON IS POLITICAL FREEDOM
There are many dark places in this world even today where men do not have Political Freedom.  Atheistic Marxism denies millions political freedom, democratic government and society.  Dictatorships in other places rob men of any vestige of self determination and civil liberty.  If Political Freedom ever comes to these people it will assuredly only do so when a great price has been paid.

The chapter in which we find our text abounds with examples of Old Testament heroes who paid a price for such freedom.  For instance we read of the great emancipator Moses who, under Almighty God's gracious protection and in His glorious providence liberated the Israelites after seven generations of Jews had wept and wailed in slavery in Egypt.  He paid a great price!  Moses surrendered his eminent position and his brilliant prospects.  He turned his back on the pleasures of the world, the prospects of the palace, and the pursuit of self-serving ends.  What a price he paid!  "The treasures of Egypt".  These he exchanged for the endurance of evil treatment, "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God", and the endurance of bitter reproach, "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt".

In modern times too men have paid a great price for our Political Freedom.  In World War I the Allies suffered 22,000,000 total casualties, over 5,000,000 of which were killed.  In World War II the British Commonwealth lost over 544,000 military personnel and the United States over 292,000.

External aggression occasioned conflict and threatened our civil liberties and this awful price had to be paid.  We today are much indebted to the multitudes who paid the supreme price.

THE SECOND FREEDOM WHICH WE CONTEMPLATE IS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
The price of religious freedom was first paid by Abel the second son of Adam and Eve according to the record of Genesis chapter 4.  To worship God according to conscience in the God-given divinely ordained manner Abel paid with his blood.  Down through the centuries the meek servants and worshippers of Jehovah have paid that same price.  The Deacon Stephen was the first recorded in the New Testament Church to gain the martyr's crown.  Constant persecutions have come to Christian believers.  The Roman Empire (Rome Pagan) slew apostles and early followers of Christ then the Roman Church (Rome Papal) has slain multitudes of true followers of the Lamb of God.

The Irish historian William Lecky in his work, "History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe", charges the Papacy with responsibility for the deaths of more innocent persons than any other institution in history, some 50,000,000 in all.

The Church of Rome has established itself as the greatest enemy both of Political and Religious Liberty upon the face of the earth.

The Albigenses in the year 1209 under the great persecution lost 60,000 lives according to secular historians.

The Huguenots of France were butchered by Popedom - 2,000 in one night in the St Bartholomew Massacre.

The Waldensians of Italy, the oldest surviving Evangelicals in the world, were mercilessly massacred by the Church of Rome and its friends from the end of the 11th Century until the year 1850.

In the year 1415 John Huss the great Reformed preacher of the Bethlehem Chapel in the city of Prague, Bohemia (now Czechoslovakia) was cruelly burnt to death.

William Tyndale, the greatest of our English Bible Translators was burnt at Vilvorde, Belgium on 6th October 1536.

About 50 Bible-loving saints were burnt at the stake in England under Henry VIII.

289 men, women, boys and girls, and one new-born baby were burnt in England, Wales and the Channel Islands during 4 years of the reign of Mary I while another 112 died in prison during that same period from starvation and torture.

Oh what a price has been paid for our Religious Freedom!

This Liberty enjoyed, and often taken for granted, for so long is under threat and attack today!

In 1984 one of our most eminent judges (ex Master of the Rolls) Lord Denning, called for a REGISTER OF RELIGION.

In the late 17th Century after the promulgation (publishing) of the Declaration of Indulgence by King Charles II (1672) it seemed that the people of God in England could proceed with the pure unadulterated and unrestricted preaching of the Word of God.  John Bunyan was burdened to apply for several licences for preachers and preaching places for the propagation of the Gospel.  THERE WAS A REGISTER OF RELIGION! - a regulation of religion by the State.

Charles II in 1675 revoked the freedom granted under the Declaration of Indulgence and in the late 1670s the gaols were once more crowded with nonconformist preachers and John Bunyan was once again imprisoned.  The Roman Catholic King James who came to the throne in 1685 compounded the oppression of the Lord's people as he feverishly slaved to return our nation to the dreadful darkness of Popery and Priestcraft.

In 1688 the Prince of Orange, William III, came by invitation to England bearing the standard: "THE PROTESTANT RELIGION AND THE LIBERTIES OF ENGLAND I WILL MAINTAIN".  In 1689 the BILL OF RIGHTS was published and in 1701 the ACT OF SETTLEMENT was proclaimed.  Liberty was enshrined in Law.  And so down through the years this Religous Liberty has been enjoyed - complete liberty of religious conscience and practice for all in our land.

In 1985 the Law Commission began to call for changes in our Criminal Law to curtail freedom of speech and action in religion.  With total disregard to the large amount of opposition to changes in the existing law the Commission favoured the abolishing of the present crime of blasphemy and the creation of new crimes which, it would appear, may well have the effect of restricting the publishing of Christian literature and the curtailment of Gospel preaching.

If ever there has been a day for constant vigilance regarding the erosion of religious freedom in our nation I believe that this is that day.

In the words of John Newton
 

How long now shall these liberties exist?  How long shall our blood-bought rights maintain?  How long shall this apostate nation and generation continue to dwell in prosperity and peace?

From the ephemeral liberties that pertain to the outward man that perisheth I would now turn your thoughts to:

THE THIRD FREEDOM WHICH WE CONSIDER IS SPIRITUAL FREEDOM
The Apostle John recorded the words of Christ who of this freedom said, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).

The text we have reflected upon hitherto, Hebrews 11:36-38a is a great text but it has its limitations.  It speaks of the sufferings of men in the cause of God.  Now we shall have a text that speaks of much greater things; the sufferings of God in the cause of men.

"But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God." (Hebrews 10:12)

What is political freedom and religious freedom to a man who knows not SPIRITUAL FREEDOM?  An unsaved unregenerate man may enjoy the right to vote how he will, speak how he will, worship how he will, but he is not free!  He is fast bound in sin and is under nature's night.  A dear man sent a message to me that he was greatly concerned about the resurgent Romanism in his Parish Church.  I had him come to my home.  We discussed his grave concerns, we ate lunch together and then I looked at that dear concerned man and asked him if he knew the Saviour, if he was born of God, if he personally knew freedom from sin through Christ?  He immediately stated that he did not.

How many we have met who rejoice in their civil and religious liberties and their Protestant heritage who do not have SPIRITUAL LIBERTY through Christ.  True freedom is the freedom of the soul!  A man may be physically free but spiritually bound.  A man may be physically bound but spiritually free.  A man may be socially free but spiritually bound.  A man may be mentally free but spiritually bound.

Unforgiven, unpardoned sin captivates and condemns the human soul.  Sin itself enslaves the human soul.

It dims its spiritual vision.  In the natural unsaved man there is no true sight of religious realities.

It destroys its spiritual taste.  In the natural unsaved man there is no true relish for spiritual food.

It diminishes its spiritual aspirations.  In the natural unsaved man there is no true hope of Heaven's heights.

It debars its spiritual privileges.  In the natural unsaved man there is no true knowledge of God.  Some unsaved souls are unconscious of this while some unsaved souls are conscious of this.  But the fact remains - the soul by nature is the slave of sin in the bondage of corruption.  Hebrews 10:12 speaks of the greatest of Liberators, the foremost of Emancipators.

"... this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God".

He sat down when He at Calvary's Cross had paid the price of Spiritual Freedom for His believing people.

Christ has the power to pardon sin  -  the sinner needs pardon.  Without this the soul cannot be made free.  The sense of past guilt must be effaced.

He, as the great Redeemer, with the supreme price of His sinless blood, purchased pardon for His people.

He, as God's Eternal Son, with the supreme authority of the Godhead, grants forgiveness to guilty, repentant, believing sinners.

Oh yes!  on the grounds of His own atoning work at Calvary, Jesus Christ as Prophet, Priest and King has the power to pardon sin.

Christ alone has the power to pardon sin  -  the context of our text reveals something of the futility of human priesthoods.  In fact the verse immediately preceding our text (Hebrews 10:11) says "And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins."

No Pope, Prelate, Priest, Parson, Pastor or Preacher can give an individual SPIRITUAL FREEDOM.

The blood of our forefathers has been instrumental in bringing us POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS freedom but only the blood of Christ procures and proffers SPIRITUAL FREEDOM.

"Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the foregiveness of sins: And by Him all that believe are justified from all things..."

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."