Freedom

What a blessing to live in the United States of America. For those of us who have traveled out of the country, we understand just how valuable our freedoms are. I think nothing of planning a week ahead knowing I will be in church on Sunday. I don't have to pass through any checkpoints to get there. I don't have to go in the dark of night so no one will see me. I am free to carry my Bible with me anywhere I want to. I am free to sing praises to my Heavenly Father and can sing them as loud as I want to. I heard once of a house church meeting in China and all they could do was whisper/sing their praise. God has truly blessed us as a nation and a people to have the freedoms we enjoy in America.

There is another freedom that God gave us that means even more and is more valuable than the freedoms we enjoy in our country. That is the freedom we have in Christ Himself to live our lives truly free. John 8:36 says, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." Because of man's inherrent sinful state, we are slaves to sin. Christ came so that our freedom from this "sin slavery" could be bought through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. There is nothing we can do to obtain this freedom; the price has already been paid on the cross. We can't be "good enough" to purchase our own freedom. We can't do enough good things to merit eternity with Him. The only way to be truly free is to acknowledge our sin, believe that Christ can save us and confess to Him our need and repent. What is repentence? It is a 180 turn-around. It simply is a u-turn away from our sin and toward a life lived for Him.

I like to use the analogy of a beautifully wrapped package. It is sitting on a table in my house and has my name on the gift tag. If I don't accept the gift, open it and use it, it isn't mine. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ gave His life so that we might have eternal life. John 3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." All we need to do is accept the gift. If you don't know Him as your personal Savior, today would be a great day to begin a new life in Him. He's waiting on you. He stands ready to save you. Trust and believe. Your life will be eternally changed.