Independence Day
On July 4th, our nation celebrates its independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, and the document begins with these familiar words: “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another...” The signers of that document pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to the cause of liberty.
Many of them paid a great price for their courage. Some lost their property; some lost their lives; some lost their families. They understood that freedom is not free—that it must be purchased at a great cost and defended at an even greater one. We who enjoy the blessings of liberty today owe a debt of gratitude to those who sacrificed so much to secure it.
But there is a greater freedom than political liberty, and it was purchased at a far greater price. Jesus Christ said, “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). This is freedom from sin—the most oppressive tyranny of all. Paul wrote, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).
The price of our spiritual freedom was not paid with silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). He gave His life on the cross so that we might be free from the bondage of sin. No earthly patriot, however noble, ever made such a sacrifice. And no earthly freedom, however precious, can compare to the liberty we have in Christ.
As we celebrate our national independence this month, let us also remember and give thanks for our spiritual independence. Let us not use our liberty as an opportunity for the flesh (Gal. 5:13), but let us serve one another in love. And let us proclaim the message of true freedom to a world still enslaved by sin.
For freedom in Christ is the only freedom that lasts beyond this life. Nations rise and fall; governments come and go; but the kingdom of Christ shall never be destroyed (Dan. 2:44). Blessed are those who are citizens of that kingdom, for they shall reign with Him forever.