July 4, 2020
“To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” John 8:31-32
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36
The United States of America declared its independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. Yet freedom did not come right away. Just because independence was declared did not mean that it was immediately found. The Revolutionary War continued until 1783, seven years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It wasn’t until September 3, 1783, when America, France, Great Britain and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris that the freedom of America was finally realized.
Today we celebrate the beginning of freedom. Today we celebrate the fact that a group of people got together and founded a new nation. A free nation. A nation where all men are created equal. And today we may be more bound and in slavery than we have ever been in history. What we discover is that freedom bring responsibility. And if we are not responsible to one another then freedom subsides.
On this day we need to pray for our nation. We can surly celebrate this nation. We are still the freest nation in the world, but we have lost some of our luster and we must stand up to get it back. May God help us!
As important as our freedom is as a nation, we should be more concerned with our freedom as spiritual individuals. If the nation and the world is falling apart around you do you have the spirit of freedom in your life? Jesus came to set us free from the bondage of this world. He came to free us from the bondage of sin. He came to give us life and give it more abundantly.
The question is have we embraced this freedom? Are we living in this freedom that Jesus gives? Are we so worried about the world that we fail to experience the freedom that Jesus so desperately wants us to have? Jesus was clear when He was talking to the Pharisees in John 8. He wanted to make sure they understood that everything they were trying to accomplish was being hindered by their own understanding. We cannot find true freedom in our own devices. We must allow Jesus to fill us and then we can celebrate true freedom. We are not truly set free until the Son sets us free.
As you celebrate American Independence today, my prayer is that you can celebrate the freedom of Jesus every day.
Dear Lord, help us to live in the freedom that you came to give us. Help us to share in the abundant life that you promised us. Do not allow the discrepancies of this world to bog us down and cause us to lose hope. Give us an attitude of gratitude so that we might truly be free. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
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