INDEPENDENCE DAY... Sunday

Devotional for 7/6/14

This was a long holiday weekend for many people, observing the Fourth of July on Friday.  It is the celebration of our country declaring freedom from the Kingdom of Great Britain.  There are many different ways that the festivities unfold.  Some people have a cookout, grilling hamburgers and hotdogs, having apple pie comes to mind, parades fill the streets, and of course there are the fireworks!  How did you celebrate?

There is another "Independence Day" we often forget to celebrate.  It is the day we receive salvation and freedom from the slavery of sin.  However, instead of celebrating being independent from a kingdom, we celebrate being adopted into the kingdom of God.  We cannot earn our way to heaven because we are all sinful.  Our forgiveness and freedom from slavery to sin was earned for us by Jesus' death and resurrection.  Because of his sacrifice on the cross. we freely receive salvation.  We are able to receive that free gift through the Holy Spirit who creates faith in Jesus in our hearts.  Faith is the key to opening our prison cell - our independence day!  May we remember to celebrate this freedom daily by standing firm in our faith, doing the good works that we were created to do, and witnessing to others of God's gift of life in heaven with him to all who believe.  Thankfully, God forgives us when we fail in these endeavors and helps us to continue to move forward when we get bogged down.  Thank you, Lord, for our freedom!

Now the Lord is the Spirit, where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.  2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.  Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

[ Life by the Spirit ] You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

written by Jan Andersen