It's True - Freedom Is Never Free!

      Our nation is celebrating its independence from British rule this weekend and I started thinking about the cost of our freedoms. The men who signed our Declaration of Independence were considered traitors and if caught would have certainly been hanged! The Revolutionary war soldiers gave up everything to fight against an army that was trained, equipped, and battle ready. The victory they won was certainly not free.
      Nearly 100 years later another war was waged to stop the injustices of the slave trade. Brothers against brothers and a tremendous loss of life & limb on both sides led to a reunited nation but the freedom won for those in bondage was certainly not free.
      Other wars, other battles through the years have been fought either to defend the innocent, protect our allies, or maintain our own freedoms.  None has been "won" or finished without tremendous loss. There are thousands even today who are on the front lines, away from loved ones, risking it all.
      Freedom is never free, for there are always those who would take it from us if we didn't fight to keep it. Those who fight for us are willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives in order to preserve what we have here in our amazing country!
      The greatest freedom however, the one that man could never achieve on his own, is the freedom from the bondage & spiritual death caused by our sin. We could not do anything to save ourselves, because even giving our own lives would just be the required payment for our sin. Satan had us in his grip & there was nothing we could do about it...and then Jesus stepped in.  Because He was sinless, He didn't have to pay for His own sin so He was the perfect sacrifice for ours. He willingly paid that price so that we could gain freedom, just by simply acknowledging what He did for us and accepting the payment He provided. There is no other way or nothing we can add to it. When He said, "It is finished", He meant it! Done, complete, final!
      What we do with this freedom is up to us. We can refuse to accept it, staying within the prison of our own making. We can squander our freedom by living a life that denies our salvation - turning again to those things that we were redeemed from. We can take it for granted and "play church" without ever really giving ourselves fully to God's work or His plan. We can refuse to live in our freedom, beating ourselves up with our former mistakes and poor choices, clinging to the slavery of our past as penance.

Or we can make the most of every opportunity to show our thankfulness by not only living for God each day and accomplishing His will for us, but by sharing the good news of our freedom with those who are still chained & in bondage to their sin, giving them the chance to choose new life too. 

      While Freedom is never free, the right decisions can truly set you free today and every day that follows!
                            Romans 7:24-25 & 8:1-2