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In Christ We Are Free!

In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul talks about freedom.  “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)  I don’t think that the founders of our country quoted that particular passage about freedom as they were framing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  However, I am sure they would have agreed with the part about not letting themselves being burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Freedom is such a precious gift, whether it’s the freedom we enjoy as citizens of the United States or the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Freedom as a nation can never be taken for granted.  Yet that is the temptation that we face as a nation.  We just assume that freedom is ours and we forget the price that was paid for that freedom.  Many have fought and died so that we could enjoy the standard of living that we have.

If you saw the movie Braveheart, you perhaps remember in the closing scenes as William Wallace was about to be executed, his triumphant cry – “FREEDOM!”  Wallace would rather die a horrible death than to live under the tyranny of the king of England.  Ah, freedom!  What a treasure!

There is another freedom that you and I have in Christ Jesus.  He paid a tremendous price for our freedom.  His death on the cross has set us free to be the people of God.  We are free from the tyranny of sin, death, and the power of the devil.  We are free to live our lives to the One who loves us, the One who set us free.

While we have the challenge of maintaining our freedom as free citizens of the U.S., we have the challenge of remembering Who has set us free from our sins.  We live our lives with the treasure of knowing that in Christ we are free!