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“Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.” 1 Peter 2:16
Today marks the 239th anniversary of the United States of America, and traditionally we celebrate this event with parades, barbecues and elaborate firework displays.
And while the celebrations and fanfare note our independence and freedoms as a country, I couldn’t help but think about the freedoms we have through Christ.
We call this country the ‘Land of the free, home of the brave.’
In our worldly view of freedom, we sometimes make the choice to extend this independence in our personal lives. Meaning: we get to make our own choices and decisions to do whatever we want, whenever we want. This is a different type of freedom that totally exists outside of our Christ-given independence.
The freedom Jesus promised is found in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me…….He has sent me to proclaim freedom.” And in John 8:36, His word tells us, “So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
From the very beginning with Adam and Eve, we were given the opportunity to do the right thing; to make the right decisions. Decisions and choices that would honor Him. But in their weakness, first one, then the other, they chose to disobey God because they wanted what they wanted.
God told Adam and Eve they could go into the Garden and eat from any tree. But He gave them specific instructions, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:16.
As we reflect on our choices, one thing is abundantly clear. He was freeing us to do what we ought to do—to choose between right and wrong.
Christ was giving us the freedom to partner in our walk with Him and be the kind of people He designed us to be. In other words, spiritual freedom is the internal freedom to choose to obey Him and choose His way for our lives.
God’s word says in 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
As we choose to trust and follow him, our poor choices, sinful habits, negative thoughts and unjust attitudes lose their hold over us. As we deepen our commitment to Him, peace of mind takes over and the right way becomes the only way.
That my friends is true freedom.
Blessings to you and your family as we celebrate our nation’s birthday. But remember the grandest celebration of all is the freedom that comes through Christ.
I’ll be praying for you.
Mitzi
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