Celebrating Our Freedom
By Susan Klein
“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.”
Galatians 5:1
When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. 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. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.
These familiar words are contained in the first two paragraphs of our Declaration of Independence. They were penned by men who desired to live freely; not under the oppression of a tyrannical government, and to worship God as they chose; not be told who, how and where to worship. They believed that their governing officials were to support these ideas, not be detrimental to them. Thus, they were willing to fight and die for their freedom. Because of such devoted patriots, and a loving God, we continue to be blessed with freedom today in the United States of America.
Likewise, we as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have been given a freedom: freedom from the bondage to sin and its eternal consequence of separation from God. We are no longer slaves to the tyranny of the evil one, nor that of our old sin nature. Unlike our forefathers, God sent Jesus to die for us so we would no longer have to fight the battle on our own. He knew that, if left to our own devices, we would lose the fight and perish in our sin. He had to be the One to provide for our freedom. Because of His great love, every man and woman today continues to have the same opportunity to experience His gift of freedom.
Today, as we celebrate our independence as a free nation, let’s also celebrate our freedom in Christ. Take a moment to say a special prayer of thanks to the Almighty Giver of those freedoms.
FURTHER READING:
Lamentations 3:22; John 8:34-36; Revelation 1:5-6
Susan is our Tuesday Morning Women’s Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She is also involved in youth outreach ministry.
