The Price of Freedom

Tomorrow we celebrate our independence as a nation. July 4th is a great day of fireworks and picnics and family. In the midst of these celebrations, do we ever stop to consider what a great price has been paid for our freedom? People laid down their lives and put aside their reputations to stand up for what they believed. Men and women have died not only here on home soil in the Revolutionary War and in the Civil War but also on foreign soil in the various wars that have been fought in other countries. Freedom is not cheap. It costs!

There is a freedom in Christ that cost God everything. He paid the greatest price that He could pay----His only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus shed His blood on the cross and died that we might have life and have it more abundantly. He became sin, that we might become righteous. He bore our sicknesses and diseases that we might walk in divine health.

Jesus paid it all. He laid aside all that He was when He came to this earth, so that He could take our place and purchase our freedom from the captivity of satan and hell. Hell was never intended for mankind. It was intended for satan and his demons. But when man sinned and hooked himself to satan, he opened up the way to go to hell if he did not turn to God. What a tragedy! And how it must have put such a hurt in God’s heart! The very man that He had created in His image was now a possible candidate for hell. Many have chosen that route to this very day.

A friend of mine once said that if people ever caught a glimpse of the love that God had for them, they would run to Him. This is as true today as it was thousands of years ago. In His love He chose us before the foundation of the world, that we might be in Him and spend eternity with Him. The choice is now ours----heaven or hell, God or satan!

Freedom----what a word! Those whom the Son sets free are free indeed. You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free. God is Truth! Satan is a liar! It is God’s Word vs satan’s word. We make the choice. Who do we believe? Do we believe what God says is true for us, regardless of what we are seeing before our physical eyes and experiencing in our lives in the natural realm? Or do we believe what satan is whispering in our ears: “You’re not going to make it.” “God doesn’t care for you.” “You have no value.” “You have no worth.” He never stops. It is a never-ending video which replays over and over and over. We have the authority; we have the power to turn off that video in our heads. Turn off satan’s video and turn on God’s video. God says: “I love you. You are valuable to Me. You are of great worth in My household. I need you. I have given you My life, My love and My light. I have given you my Word. That is all you need to be a success in this world.

Tomorrrow, as you celebrate the freedom you enjoy in this country, the United States of America, remember the true freedom that you are celebrating. It is the freedom of being God’s child. It is the freedom of being able to live in the fullness of His Presence. It is the freedom of knowing that you are on the highway to heaven. It is the awesome freedom of knowing God! There is a song that talks about knowing God. I love that song. Knowing Him is all I need. He is my everything. This day, I celebrate my Lord and what He has done for me and continues to do for me every day. I love Him with all my heart.

CELEBRATE YOUR FREEDOM!