Happy Independence Day!
I hope everyone has an amazing holiday filled with fun, food, and lots of memories! The freedom we have in this country is something that we should never take for granted. No doubt does God have His hand on America, the land of the free and home of the brave!
Reading in the Scriptures this morning, I continued onto John 8. The message in this chapter couldn't fit today any better. Jesus discussed with the Jews the concept of being children of Abraham, which they insisted that they were, but with this concept came the idea of freedom, an eternal freedom found only in the name of Jesus Christ. What better thing to celebrate on Independence Day than not only the blessing of a free country, but of the true, everlasting freedom found in a life in Christ?
I love these verses in John 8:
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
"Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.'" (John 8:34-36)
I challenge everyone, including myself, today to remember and meditate on Jesus' words. When we turn to Jesus, discover the Truth found in Him and His Word, He breaks our bondage to sin and death. His sacrifice on the cross and His eternal grace and mercy from such a sacrifice is sufficient to cover our sins. And it's because He breaks our bondage when we turn every sin over to Him that we are cleansed, made new, and set free from our sins. Because Jesus is the Son of God, not just a temporary servant, but an everlasting Son, once we've given our lives to Him, we will be set free forever from our previous life! Isn't this freedom found in our lives in Christ the ultimate reason to rejoice on Independence Day?
So as you celebrate our freedom today and the blessings God has bestowed on our country, thank Him not only for that, but for the eternal freedom we have (and can) acquire in His Son Jesus--the freedom that changes lives and makes us new!
