harness vs. freedom

I've been doing a lot of historical reading lately (biography of Alexander Hamilton and memoirs of Winston Churchill) and have been appreciating the great freedoms of our country and our unique relationship with Great Britain over the past several centuries.  It seems that England is largely responsible for our birth and early development.  Like a child becoming a teen and then young adult, we craved a separate identify and broke free.  Of course the breaches have been healed, largely, and we have no closer ally than Britain today.  It seems to me that our form of government, which grew out of England's roots (minus the monarchy) has been strong and enduring because it acknowledges the weaknesses of human nature.  Our system of "checks and balances" wisely prevents power from becoming concentrated in one person or agency.  You might say that America has created a government and a culture that "harnesses" human nature, with all its flaws, to benefit from a more equitable distribution of power and opportunity.  It occurs to me that Christ goes beyond "harnessing" human nature and liberates us from the darker side of that nature so that we might truly find our identity in Him.  The unique result is the highest form of independence and freedom that leads to the highest form of dependence (on Him) and service to all men.  There is no denying the positive and negative aspects of our human and sin natures.  We are blessed to live in a place where that nature is harnessed and, ultimately, can be liberated that we might find our highest expression of life.   1 Peter 2:15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.   blessings, Rob Smith