No Greater Love, Pt. 1

Every time I read of someone willingly laying down his or her life for others, it inspires me and points me again to what Jesus did for us on the cross.

No Greater Love, Pt. 1

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

(John 15:12-13)

Words cannot adequately describe the gratefulness in my heart to Jesus for His sacrificial death on the cross for my sins. If you are a Christian, then you know what I am saying. The Lord is worthy of all praise and worship, for He alone went to the cross and laid down His life so we can live in freedom from the power of sin. Because He died and arose from the dead, we too will rise to eternal life with Him, all because of what Jesus has done for us!

Biblical and secular history are replete with examples of heroic, sacrificial love where one individual pays the ultimate price and gives his or her life in order to save others. Every time I read of someone willingly laying down his or her life, it inspires me and points me again to what Jesus did for us on the cross.

John R. Fox was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1915 during WWI. He was 26 years old when he joined the military with the rank of Second Lieutenant. When WWII started, he was commissioned and joined the 92nd Infantry Division. He was ordered to stay behind in a small village in Tuscany, Italy. His job in 1944 was to keep an eye on the advancing German soldiers who were attempting to take over the village. From his position on the second floor of a building, he saw how quickly the Germans were marching toward him. He sent the coordinates of his location to his fellow soldiers, asking them to bomb the site. They asked if he was sure he wanted to do that, because it meant certain death for him. He simply said, "Fire it." Missiles pummeled the location, and hundreds of Nazi soldiers and one American died in the attack. The one soldier was African American John R. Fox, a true American hero. Because of his sacrifice, the American soldiers were able to retreat and then return to overtake the village. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for paying the highest price, his very life. (Source.)

As Jesus died to make us holy, so many soldiers in the military died to make us free. For the latter, I give my gratitude and honor, but for the former, regarding what Jesus did at Calvary, I give Him my worship and total allegiance. Will you take a moment and thank God again for the freedom you enjoy living in the USA? That freedom came at a high price, as hundreds of thousands of soldiers have sacrificed so you could enjoy all you have today. Then, and more importantly, praise Jesus for His sacrifice for you on the cross. He died for all, and everyone who trusts in Him as Lord and Savior will live eternally in heaven with Him. Praise the Lord!