Article
Freedom is Not Free
July 19, 2019
Forty-three years ago, on June 27, my husband and I were married. The budget did not cover a trip to Hawaii, but in more than one stop on our honeymoon, we were treated to festive parades and elaborate firework displays. No, the celebrations were not in our honor! It was July 4, 1976, and our nation was celebrating two hundred years of independence and freedom.
This day has been established as a federal holiday commemorating the Declaration of Independence of the United States. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress declared that the thirteen American colonies were no longer subject to the monarch of Britain and were now united, free, and independent states.
Most Americans celebrate this day with family and friends. We brave the heat to barbecue, attend parades, and watch fireworks. But at the end of the day, how much thought do any of us give to the freedom we are celebrating? Freedom is never free; it always comes with a price.
The freedom we enjoy as Americans required sacrifice.
Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. This action resulted in untold sufferings for themselves and their families. Of the fifty-six, five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army. Another had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died in the war. One wealthy trader saw all his ships sunk by the British navy; he died in poverty.
In Washington, D.C., monuments have been erected to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that our nation retains that freedom, and to remind us to never take it for granted.
As Christians, may we never forget the sacrifice Christ made to give us freedom from the penalty of sin and death.
In the past few years, there have been significant advances in the science of forensics. Due to this, many innocent people, falsely accused and imprisoned for crimes they did not commit, have been exonerated and set free. It is not hard to imagine that men and women would do everything in their power to free the innocent, but it's beyond comprehension that someone would make the ultimate sacrifice to free the guilty. And, yet, that is what Jesus Christ did!
As sinners, we were guilty of rebellion and enmity against God. We were slaves of Satan. In mercy and love, Jesus gave His life for us.
"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
We live in a day when people think freedom gives them the right to say what they want, do what they want, imagine what they want, without any restraints, accountability, or responsibility. But there is no freedom to anyone still bound by sin. The only freedom from guilt, fear, judgment, and eternal punishment is in Jesus Christ. He proclaimed, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." (Luke 4:18)
Elizabeth Keckley was a slave in Missouri before the Civil War. Her greatest desire was to purchase freedom for herself and her son. Her owner agreed that if she could raise twelve hundred dollars, he would grant her freedom. Keckley was a seamstress, but no matter how many hours she worked, she could not come up with the money.
Word of what she was trying to do reached some of her wealthy clients. They contributed the money she needed. With help, Elizabeth Keckley paid the price for her freedom as well as for her son.
Freedom not only requires sacrifice, but it also comes with a price.
We enjoy freedom today in America because a price has been paid; blood has been shed. Somewhere along the way, someone paid dearly for the liberties we enjoy so freely today.
We are still free to worship. We are still free to pray and read God's Word. We are still free to speak.
All of us were enslaved to sin with no hope of ever gaining freedom. Our freedom from sin and condemnation required the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus Christ bought our freedom with His own blood. The Apostle Peter said, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Peter 1: 18-19)
A little boy was playing with his slingshot one day and accidentally killed one of his family's geese with a stone. Figuring his family wouldn't notice one of twenty-four gone, he buried it. His sister witnessed his crime and said, "I saw what you did, and if you don't wash the dishes for me, I'll tell mom." The boy did the dishes for a few days, and then one evening, he said to his sister, "you do the dishes." His sister threatened, "I'll tell mom!" The boy replied with a smile, "I already told her, and she forgave me - I'm free again!"
"There is, therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1a)
It has been said that eternal liberty requires diligent vigilance. As citizens of the United States of America, may we never take our freedom for granted. We need to faithfully pray for those in authority, and for our military who are still making the sacrifice to preserve our freedom.
As members of the church of Jesus Christ, may we also never take for granted the freedom from sin that He has purchased for us. May we be vigilant soldiers against the powers of darkness, and contend for the faith that has been delivered unto us.
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5:1)
"To serve God, to love God, to enjoy God, is the sweetest freedom in the world!" Thomas Watson
Let Freedom ring!
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