Many of you are already aware that California is expected to fully reopen As we celebrate the 4th of July, we are reminded that by the grace of God America declared its independence from the monarch rule of Great Britain in 1776. The preamble of the Declaration clearly states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The colonists desired to be freed from the tyrannical rule of the king and wished to exercise their inalienable rights. They no longer could stand the oppressions suffered, and petitions for redress were answered with repeated injury. Therefore, they absolved themselves from all allegiance to the British Crown and dissolved all political connections between them.
Although America was successful in her declaration of independence, the internal issue of slavery remained bothersome. The slaves were not granted their freedom until President Abraham Lincoln, who believed that slavery is morally wrong, issued an executive order in 1863, proclaiming the emancipation of slaves. Despite its limited impact, Lincoln’s proclamation marked a crucial turning point in the evolution of people’s views of slavery as well as paving the way for its eventual abolition by the 13th amendment. We have a bigger problem in that we are enslaved to sin. As Paul says, “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it… What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom. 7:18-20, 24-25) How did Jesus deliver us from the slavery of sin? In John 8:36 Jesus makes a wonderful statement of victory. He says, “So if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed.” Have you ever taken the time to consider what you are freed from? In Greek, the word free connotes the meaning of being liberated or released from liability. We were once captives and held under the bondage of sin. We were controlled by the impulses of sin and bound to the instincts of sin. We had no power to overcome as sin was our master and ruler. However, we were freed by the grace and mercy of Jesus, when he took the penalty of sin for us and replaced our death sentence with eternal life. At the cross, there was a transactional exchange. Jesus freed us from the bondage, penalty, and guilt of sin, and exchanged it with the freedom to live and serve. When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, he increases our capacity to love, enjoy life, and experience peace and joy. More than anything else, we can now have a healthy relationship with our heavenly Father. “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8) Our freedom in Christ calls us to serve Him and His people. He has work for us to do. He has a plan for our life. We serve not out of guilt or trying to prove ourselves, win the applause of men, or the approval of God. We are saved and freed by grace. Our approval doesn’t come because of what we do, but because of what Christ has already done. When we understand this, we are free to accomplish the purpose God has for our life with no selfish agenda, no ulterior motive but out of a heart motivated by love for Him. Freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think without restraint. We are reassured that “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Gal. 5:1) Enjoy your freedom in Christ, and be a good instrument of His grace and love. Share it with someone today! Comments are closed.
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