Let Freedom Ring

Happy Independence Day! Today is the 233 birthday of these United States of America. Today we stop and celebrate the brave men and women who took a courageous stand against tyranny and evil and sacrificed their lives and livelihoods so that we can enjoy ours in prosperity, peace and freedom. Today we celebrate our freedom fighters.

But as the saying goes, “freedom isn’t free.” No, freedom exacts a hefty price. And that price is sacrifice.

Our country is only free today because the men and women back in the 17th and 18th centuries believed that starting a new country and government free and apart from England was important enough to fight for. (And still is.) And sacrifice they did. (And still do.) But signing that Declaration was too important to our freedom to let fear stop them.

Surely they lost touch with friends and loved ones back in England, they lost homes and fortunes during the revolutionary war. Some became prisoners of war. Freedom came with a hefty price tag. But I imagine if we were to ask them today, they’d say it was worth it.

Our founding fathers didn’t go into battle alone. They had a role model to look to for inspiration and guidance. They had on their side the first and ultimate Freedom Fighter. The One who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

Freedom. What a beautiful gift it is. John wrote that “if the Son sets you free, you are free, indeed.” (John 8:36). Meaning that if you get freedom from the Son then you get major freedom and nobody can take it from you. That’s some freedom.

Jesus came to set us free – free from strife, free from worry, free from pain, free from harm, free from death. That last one is a doozy. And to free us from that our ultimate Freedom Fighter made the ultimate sacrifice for us.

And what’s really cool is that He didn’t do it in a generic, general “I do this for everybody who comes after me” way. He did it in a “I do this for you [insert your name here]” way.

Unlike our founding fathers, who we rightly honor today, our Freedom Fighter is still on the job. Protecting us and keeping us free. And He knows each of us – by name.

So, today when we are celebrating with family and friends and enjoying our hard fought freedom, let’s remember to take a moment to say Thank You to those who traded their freedom for ours.

Sacrifice – it's how you spell freedom.

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