A review of Christian freedoms in the West and in the UK in particular, with special regard to currently proposed legislation. The speaker is Pastor Peter Simpson of Penn Free Methodist Church, who addressed the recent 'Protestant Conference' meeting in central London on this vital theme.

The apostle Paul visits the city of Athens, which was was the central focal point of Greek culture. Even though now politically weak, and under Roman sovereignty, it was the intellectual home of the empire and of the Gentile world generally. As Paul looks around Athens, he is deeply agitated by the abounding influence of false religion in the city. Temples and idols were everywhere.

We are then told in Acts 17:17, “Therefore disputed he ... in the market daily with them that met with him”. So in the places of public gathering he disputes and reasons with those who adhered to Greek religion and to the different schools of philosophy, including the Epicureans and the Stoics.

We learn from how Paul conducted himself in how the Gospel should be preached today. The following points are important :

1) Paul preached on Christ - His death and resurrection;

2)Paul preached on God as the Creator and Sustainer of all life;

3)Paul denounced religious error (this in no way implies hostility or discourtesy);

4)Paul commanded his hearers to repent, because the Day of Judgement is coming, and it is the risen Christ who is the Judge of all men.

There is coming a day of resurrection when men will hear Christ's voice, whether they want to or not. The dead are going to be called from their graves to render an account. There will be two types of resurrection, one to damnation and one to everlasting life. Our Lord clearly speaks of the day of resurrection as the time of universal judgement. The saved and the lost are going to be raised up on this same judgement day.

Although believers in Christ are saved by grace alone, and can never earn their salvation, it is on the basis of their works, along with the rest of men, by which they will be judged.

So there are two great questions : (1) Has the non-Christian prepared for this coming day by repenting fo sin and trusting in Christ? 2)Has the Christian used the saving grace bestowed upon him in order to lead a holy life in preparation for that coming day?

Today, as The State promotes gross immorality in the name of equality and human rights, as it legislates against God’s laws, and as it tries to punish those who disagree with it, it is manifesting itself as the ten-horned beast. As modern governments and leaders suppress Biblical truth, as they presume to take on the role of defining moral absolutes and what people should believe, as they act as if they and the State’s institutions are the ultimate source of wisdom, and are society’s only saviours, and as they curtail the freedoms of God’s true people, so they walk in the steps of the beast of Revelation 13.

“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver”. The lust for material gain will never be satisfied. Let us enjoy the good material things which God has given us, but let us never live FOR them, or put our trust in them, or constantly be longing for more, for the Lord Jesus Christ warns,"What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

John Newton said of the Lord’s Day, “Day of all the week the best, emblem of eternal rest”, reminding us that the day was instituted for man’s good. So our communion with God on the Lord’s Day is meant to be a foretaste of heaven. This day should therefore be our chief delight. Let us never neglect the fourth commandment, but always remember to keep the Sabbath day holy. It will be for our own great blessing, and for our nation’s great blessing also.

The Gospel declares that there is only one priest able to represent the sinner and bring him into God’s holy presence, and this is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the great priestly mediator for all mankind, but He only actually saves those who come to Him, repenting of their sin, and trusting in Him for mercy. Let all people therefore realise that there is no priest in all the world who can help them, save the Lord Jesus Christ, and may they come to Him without further delay.

The Christian has been chosen to salvation according to God’s foreordained purpose of saving those who repent of sin and believe in Christ. God takes the initiative and calls a msn, but he is responsible for how he responds to the call, responsible for repenting of sin and trusting in Christ. The Christian has been set apart through the new birth, through the Holy Spirit dwelling within him, giving him the power to be holy. The Christian has been sprinkled with Christ's blood, cleansed from all sin, and acquitted from all condemnation. This, then, is the glorious status of God's elect, God's own people, those who are saved by coming to Christ.

Righteousness before God can alone exalt a nation. We need to reflect upon the question asked in v20 of this psalm : “Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee”? The answer is NO. If a national government, and society generally, turns its back upon the Christian Gospel and the laws of God, then God cannot bless that nation. He rather regards it as “a throne of iniquity”. It is God who determines a nation’s economic, political and social stability. So the vital issue is this : Is our nation honouring God? Psalm 94 shows us that defiance of God's commandments, no matter how fashionable and politically correct, will never succeed, for, as v23 states, “The Lord shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness”. May our own nation today take note.

The message of these verses is that the Christian Gospel is the revelation of Almighty God which all men are under an obligation to embrace. This is the message which must be shouted form the housetops. Christ crucified is the sum of all true wisdom, for hereby a man finds everlasting life.