“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath
set us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1 KJV)
Tomorrow we (those of us in the United States of America)
will be celebrating our freedom, won at a great cost from Great Britain. On July 4, 1776, many brave men (and women)
in an act of defiance stood up against the world power of that day, declaring
their independence. This was an act of
war. Many individuals and families paid
a very steep price; because of this, we have the freedoms and independence we
now enjoy. May we never take our
freedoms and independence for granted!
For those of us who are Christians, we are in a war too; a
spiritual war, fighting against a spiritual enemy—Satan—who wants our
soul. We do not fight alone. We fight along side our brothers and sisters
in Christ. However, our best and most important help comes from our Savior,
Jesus and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever considered that our freedom—freedom from sin
and death—eternal separation from a holy God was also won at a great cost? By dying and arising from the dead, Jesus set
us free from bondage to sin—we are liberated!
This freedom is fully paid for by Christ Jesus—He asks for our heart.
Being set free by Christ sends us on an amazing journey—a journey
that is unique to each person. This journey
takes us places we never thought we would go; we will likely do things we never
thought we could or would do (for me that is preaching in the form of filling
in for pastors who are away). We will
meet many people who will teach us, bless us, and challenge us. And yes, our hearts will break at times for
many reasons.
To read more about freedom in Christ please read my previous
posts: Salvation, A New Creation, and Counting the Cost.
Much like the colonists, who were subjects of Great Britain,
we are in bondage to sin, until we see our sin for what it is and that we
cannot save or free ourselves from the chains of sin. It is when we acknowledge the work of Jesus
Christ and invite Him into our heart that we are set free.
We are free in Christ—this freedom is not freedom to do as we please; it is freedom from the burden of
sin and the burden of the Old Testament laws, rules, and regulations (but not
the Ten Commandments). It is freedom to
love (agape) others and to serve others.
Spend some time in the coming days, reflecting on your
freedom in Christ.
What does it mean to you, personally, to be free in Christ?
What has Jesus set you free from?
Please join with me in prayer:
Dear God of Love, thank You for setting us free. We recognize all that You have done for
us. Thank You for the gift of living in
America and for those who have stood up for what is right, so that we can live
in freedom. It is in Jesus and Jesus alone
that we are saved and set free; thank You Jesus for Your amazing gift of salvation. Teach us to walk and live in the freedom that
we have in Jesus, the One who set us free from Satan’s grasp. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
From My Heart to Yours,
Kim
Happy 4th of July to
my readers in the United States of America!
Beautifully expressed, Kim, both in reminding us of why we celebrate July 4th and why we should daily celebrate Jesus' liberating us from the chains of sin and death. May He bless you richly always!
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
Thank you, Martha! Yes, there is much to celebrate when it comes to freedom. Especially our freedom in Christ! Reminders of various types are helpful to regain our focus, otherwise, this weekend simply becomes another long weekend.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Hi Kim! I had not considered the similarities between our fight for freedom, and our spiritual battles. Nice! I love that! My freedom in the USA was bought and paid for by those that went before me. Same with my soul. Bought and paid for by my Lord.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. Thank you for this thoughtful reflection and prayer!
Ceil
Hi Ceil! I'm glad to know that my devotion helped you to consider the similarities in our battles for freedom from tyranny and our spiritual battles for freedom in a new light.
DeleteI hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend as well. Thank you for your kind comments.
Blessings!