“And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” (Romans 8:2, NLT)
The United States celebrates its doctrine of freedom on the 4th of July. All over the country, there are signs and symbols of freedom. Pictures of the “Liberty” Bell are displayed. Fireworks add to the celebrations. Stories of the Declaration of “Independence” are circulated. The media adds pictures of gun-toting Revolutionary War soldiers and displays the colors of the flag. National pride is deemed worthy. The slogan “Let Freedom Ring!” is displayed on banners. Yet, while the country claims how free it is politically, there are so many, many signs that people in this country are not free. They are bound by sin. They are manipulated by evil intentions. They are captured by ideals that are promoted by politicians, touted by celebrities, and reinforced by social stigmas. How can you be a free person in America today when your leaders have sought to control you with social media, manipulate the news with ideological agendas, and promote ideals that are anti-God? There is a way… but it takes Jesus.
When the United States was founded, the nation desired freedom from the tyranny of England. Slogans like, “No taxation without representation” were shouted in order to explain how England desired to subjugate the original colonies. For many in that era, freedom meant separation from England. However, there were others who knew well that this country needed God in order to really know what freedom was like. That is why the Declaration of Independence begins with a nod to God as the source of freedom: “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.” In essence, the authors of the Declaration of Independence knew that this nation would never experience freedom without a knowledge of and respect for GOD, the Creator!
The scripture for today also links freedom with God’s Spirit. In Romans 8:2, Paul wrote that those who truly “belong” to Christ Jesus are given “the power of the life-giving Spirit”. That Holy Spirit “freed you from the power of sin that leads to death”. Taken in context, the Holy Spirit, which is sent when you truly believe in Jesus, frees you from sin. When this happens, you learn the truth. You live your life in respect for God. You are trustworthy and moral. You are righteous before God. Your relationship with God causes you to live a faithful life. Living faithfully, you are no longer a slave to the power of sin. You are free to experience life in all its wholeness and joy.
A bar in Northern Indiana held a special Fourth of July celebration each year. On that day, the owners cooked up brats and hotdogs. They catered in snacks and finger food. They placed special prices on their liquor. Then, at dusk, everyone got to watch the fireworks outside the bar windows. A few patrons had celebrated their Fourth of July at that bar for decades.
One man sat at on a stool in that bar. He had attended the Fourth of July celebration at that bar for maybe a dozen years. As the fireworks blasted away, he said to the man next to him, “It sure is nice to be free!” The man next to him responded, “So true.” The man who said, “It sure is nice to be free!”, lived a rough life. While on that day he celebrated his “freedom”, deep down he knew that freedom was missing from his life. He was a former Army specialist. He served two tours overseas. He still had nightmares now and then, though they were receding. He was addicted to alcohol. He had many regrets. Most of his days were spent recovering from drinking, going out to his favorite bars, and working to support his lifestyle. While he thought himself “free”, he really was not free to live his life. He was a slave to alcohol. He suffered because of the hold of past memories that fueled his nightmares. He woke up many mornings in sweat or with vomit on his pillow. Does it sound like he is truly free?
The authors of the Declaration of Independence and the Bible agree that a person is not free without a relationship with the Creator. As the scripture for today makes clear, only when a person is freed from sin by the power of God will he or she truly experience freedom. Otherwise, sin will enslave you. Regrets will haunt you. Grace will elude you. Sadness will envelop you. Unresolved issues will eat at your peace.
Jesus said that His followers would “know the truth, and that truth would set them free” (John 8:32). If sin has taken hold in your life, chances are you believe a lie. That lie is keeping you from being free. If sin has corrupted your thinking, its hold is forcing you to have self-destructive thoughts. If depression has you living under a cloud of negativity, it will force you to see the negative in most every waking moment. How can you experience freedom when constrained and enslaved by sinful thoughts and passions?
I want you to be free! I want our country to experience true freedom! That will not come as long as people are deluded by sinful thoughts and manipulated through evil intentions. Accepting Jesus Christ, confessing one’s sin, and receiving grace are the beginning of truth and freedom. Living in Christ and being led by the Holy Spirit can keep a person free from enslavement to sin!
If you truly want to “Let Freedom Ring”, acknowledge Jesus as your Savior, turn away from any sin that seeks to control you, and let the Holy Spirit fill you fully so that you may live in righteousness. Wouldn’t life in this world be more beautiful if everyone experienced true freedom?
When the United States was founded, the nation desired freedom from the tyranny of England. Slogans like, “No taxation without representation” were shouted in order to explain how England desired to subjugate the original colonies. For many in that era, freedom meant separation from England. However, there were others who knew well that this country needed God in order to really know what freedom was like. That is why the Declaration of Independence begins with a nod to God as the source of freedom: “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.” In essence, the authors of the Declaration of Independence knew that this nation would never experience freedom without a knowledge of and respect for GOD, the Creator!
The scripture for today also links freedom with God’s Spirit. In Romans 8:2, Paul wrote that those who truly “belong” to Christ Jesus are given “the power of the life-giving Spirit”. That Holy Spirit “freed you from the power of sin that leads to death”. Taken in context, the Holy Spirit, which is sent when you truly believe in Jesus, frees you from sin. When this happens, you learn the truth. You live your life in respect for God. You are trustworthy and moral. You are righteous before God. Your relationship with God causes you to live a faithful life. Living faithfully, you are no longer a slave to the power of sin. You are free to experience life in all its wholeness and joy.
A bar in Northern Indiana held a special Fourth of July celebration each year. On that day, the owners cooked up brats and hotdogs. They catered in snacks and finger food. They placed special prices on their liquor. Then, at dusk, everyone got to watch the fireworks outside the bar windows. A few patrons had celebrated their Fourth of July at that bar for decades.
One man sat at on a stool in that bar. He had attended the Fourth of July celebration at that bar for maybe a dozen years. As the fireworks blasted away, he said to the man next to him, “It sure is nice to be free!” The man next to him responded, “So true.” The man who said, “It sure is nice to be free!”, lived a rough life. While on that day he celebrated his “freedom”, deep down he knew that freedom was missing from his life. He was a former Army specialist. He served two tours overseas. He still had nightmares now and then, though they were receding. He was addicted to alcohol. He had many regrets. Most of his days were spent recovering from drinking, going out to his favorite bars, and working to support his lifestyle. While he thought himself “free”, he really was not free to live his life. He was a slave to alcohol. He suffered because of the hold of past memories that fueled his nightmares. He woke up many mornings in sweat or with vomit on his pillow. Does it sound like he is truly free?
The authors of the Declaration of Independence and the Bible agree that a person is not free without a relationship with the Creator. As the scripture for today makes clear, only when a person is freed from sin by the power of God will he or she truly experience freedom. Otherwise, sin will enslave you. Regrets will haunt you. Grace will elude you. Sadness will envelop you. Unresolved issues will eat at your peace.
Jesus said that His followers would “know the truth, and that truth would set them free” (John 8:32). If sin has taken hold in your life, chances are you believe a lie. That lie is keeping you from being free. If sin has corrupted your thinking, its hold is forcing you to have self-destructive thoughts. If depression has you living under a cloud of negativity, it will force you to see the negative in most every waking moment. How can you experience freedom when constrained and enslaved by sinful thoughts and passions?
I want you to be free! I want our country to experience true freedom! That will not come as long as people are deluded by sinful thoughts and manipulated through evil intentions. Accepting Jesus Christ, confessing one’s sin, and receiving grace are the beginning of truth and freedom. Living in Christ and being led by the Holy Spirit can keep a person free from enslavement to sin!
If you truly want to “Let Freedom Ring”, acknowledge Jesus as your Savior, turn away from any sin that seeks to control you, and let the Holy Spirit fill you fully so that you may live in righteousness. Wouldn’t life in this world be more beautiful if everyone experienced true freedom?