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"For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery."
(Galatians 5:1, CSB)
Happy Independence day! The fourth of July! I don't know about you, but I have some fond memories of this holiday from growing up! I remember firework shows, hanging out with friends and family, eating watermelon, and hanging out at the pool. This was always such a fun holiday to celebrate, and it always came with a deep sense of patriotism and remembering our nation's history. What a privilege and joy it is to live in the United States of America. It is crazy to think about what it took for our country to become independent. It is crazy to think that a group of colonists came together to break away from a world superpower, and it's even crazier to think that it actually worked, and we are celebrating it still to this day, 247 years later.
Where yesterday's devotional was a call for thanksgiving, let today be a call for reflection. Yes, it is great to reflect on the history of our great country, but let me encourage you to also reflect on our Great God and what He has done for us! Galatians 5:1 is a verse you may be familiar with! It says, "For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery." Think about that first part: "For Freedom, Christ set us free." Paul is talking here about freedom from the law.
We, as followers of Jesus, do not have to be confined to the customs and rituals of the law of Moses. We do not have to follow the sacrificial system or the dietary restrictions that were in place for the Israelites in the Old Testament. The reason we do not have to follow the Old Testament law (and truly, the reason any of us can be redeemed at all) is that Jesus fulfilled the law and everything that was required in it, and He gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, bringing us out of death and into life, and setting us free from our bondage to sin. He has TRULY set us free! This is the most profound freedom any of us could ever experience. Even those living under oppressive authoritarian regimes can experience a deeper freedom in Christ.
On this Independence Day, as we Americans thank God for the life, liberty, and prosperity he has blessed us with, let us more so thank Him for bringing our souls from death to life and making us truly free and blessed in Him, no matter what any government may say or do.
So as you celebrate the red, white, and blue, give thanks for what your Savior has done for you.
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