Description
Martin R. Castro said, “The phrases ‘religious liberty’ and ‘religious freedom’ will stand for nothing except hypocrisy, so long as they remain code words for discrimination, intolerance, racism, sexism, Islamophobia, homophobia, Christian supremacy, or any other form of intolerance.... This generation of Americans must stand up and speak out to ensure that religion must never again be twisted to deny others the full promise of America.”
This mentality is prominent in American thinking today, and it should concern Christians. Carried to its logical conclusion, it will result in a loss of religious liberty in America.
Alarmingly, only a small percentage of Americans today, Christians included, genuinely understand the history of religious liberty and its Biblical underpinnings. Religious liberty is an inherent right the Creator has endowed upon each person, for each bears His image.
Since religious liberty is a Biblical and theological issue, the church has a duty to teach it along with the rest of “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Meant to Be Free is a defense of religious liberty, covering its theology, its development in history, and its defense in a culture that opposes it. But more than defending religious liberty, Jay Lucas shows how defending it can lead to opportunities to share the gospel.
Meant to Be Free will prepare and challenge you to defend religious liberty and share the good news that “if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36).
Key Features:
- Explores the Biblical basis and theological significance of religious liberty
- Traces the historical development of religious freedom
- Addresses contemporary challenges and cultural opposition to religious liberty
- Provides practical insights for defending religious liberty and sharing the gospel
Meant to Be Free is a must-read for anyone concerned about the future of religious liberty in America. It is an invaluable resource for Christians seeking to understand and defend their faith in a rapidly changing cultural landscape. Prepare to be informed, inspired, and equipped to stand up for the inherent rights granted by our Creator.
Reviews
“Meant to be Free is a must read for every pastor and layman. This book
will inspire you personally to have a closer walk with God and will educate you about where our society is heading. The Biblical basis of Christian liberty is vital for the church today!”
—Tony Garren, pastor, Fayette Bible Church, Washington Court House, Ohio.
“Once again, my friend and co-laborer, Jay Lucas, has produced an important work on a subject whose importance grows with each passing day: a biblical, theological, and historical basis for religious liberty. Jay writes as a pastor whose concern for God’s people rings through loud and clear, and who pulls his argument from Scripture, theology, church history, and apologetics. This book provides believers with a real tool equipping us with a biblical defense for the first amendment (inalienable) rights of all believers to freely exercise their faith without interference from the government, and corrects the aberrant, contemporary misapplication of “separation of church and state” today, re-positioning it in its original historical setting. A dialogue format between a believer and unbeliever over the matter of religious freedom not only contemporizes the issue, but also illustrates how an everyday believer
can give an “answer” (apologia) to the hope that is within them (1 Peter 3:15).” I highly commend this book to the Christian reading public.
—Michael Canham, director, The Barnabas Initiative
“Our country is obsessed with ideas like rights, tolerance, freedom, Christian nationalism, separation of church and state, and all the various phobias and “isms” one could imagine. Yet very few in our culture understand these concepts or their histories. In Meant To Be Free, Jay Lucas, a long-time friend of mine, presents a clear, compelling, and insightful account of the importance and history of religious liberty. But make no mistake, this is no dry historical account! With a pastor’s heart, Jay’s writing is biblical, engaging, and very practical! For anyone who wishes to understand and defend religious liberty, this book is for you! It will inform, encourage, and equip you to defend the hope that is in you!”
—Jeriah D. Shank, pastor, theologian, and apologist, Slater Baptist Church, Slater, Iowa.
Readers of Meant to be Free will find out what my community and I have been blessed to know for years, Jay Lucas is a strong faith leader, historian, and research scholar who ties history and Biblical truths into lessons and solutions for modern day issues. I enjoyed the well-researched history of America’s founders, review of the church throughout the years, and explanation of the Bible as they each pertain to religious freedom. The concepts in this book are easily applied to many of today’s important discussions.
—Bob Peterson, district 91 representative, The Ohio House of Representatives
Author Bio
Jay Lucas is senior pastor of Grace Community Baptist Church, Washington Court House, Ohio, and director of The Isaac Backus Project, which develops books and resources that "equip Christians to engage the culture by teaching them how to apply the Biblical worldview to the issues of our day." He is a graduate of Baptist Bible College of Pennsylvania and Scranton University. Jay and his wife, Becky, have six children.