Freedom & Liberty

INDEPENDENCE IN TWO WAYS

Today is a day that we celebrate our freedom & independence from England, thus becoming our own country, our own nation, a special people, a people free to worship according to as their conscience allows.  But, what does this freedom really mean? Is it the liberty to act and behave as we want? To sleep with whom we want without the benefit and blessing of marriage? To steal, kill, and destroy however we want? To accept God, not accept God, not believe in God, or just say He doesn't exist at all?

What was our nation founded upon? Was it founded upon believing that God speaks to each individual's heart & conscience? … Or that we don't need a human mediator because Christ is that mediator between us and the Father?

Jesus says that no man comes unto the Father lest the Father calls Him. Whosoever... chooses to believe in & accept His Son as Lord and Saviour, we would be His adopted child, heirs of a Godly inheritance and eternal life.

Let's look into this Lord and Saviour a bit.

“Lord” is a master. The one whom you give obeisance to. The One whom you surrender all to... even your very life if necessary. The One whom you obey completely... even when you don't understand the reason for the command.

Romans 6:16 says, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves servants to obey, you are that one's servants whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?” “But God be thanked that though you were servants of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.” “And having been set free from sin, you became servants of righteousness.”

Luke 6:46 Jesus says, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”..... LORD!

“Saviour” is someone who saves or rescues... a preserver of life. The One who sacrifice all to save you... even His very life. The One who showed us what it means to obey completely... even when He prayed for another possible way... but surrendering all... including His will, to His Fathers will so that you can be saved.

John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.”...........SAVIOUR!

In order for us to be saved, we must believe and accept Jesus as BOTH our Lord & Saviour. We must accept Him as the one who died for us and saved our lives forever and because He saved our lives, we belong to Him as servants. Therefore, we must surrender ourselves wholly and completely to Him, as our Lord, that we will obey Him completely.

Too often He is accepted as Saviour but not as Lord. That is what people are calling “Carnal Christians” now. Friends, THERE IS NO SUCH THING! Being a Christian means you are Christ-like or representing Christ. You have surrendered all that you are, all your hopes, all your dreams, all your desires, all your sin, all your will, everything to Him and to His will because He saved you. His Spirit begins working in you, changing you to become more like Him... spiritual.. not religious. Being “carnal” means you are un-surrendered to Christ. You have not accepted Him as your Lord in whom you will obey, therefore are still a part of the world... the flesh. These are opposite one of another and can NEVER be joined together as a unit. Either you are fully His because you accept Him and surrender all to Him or you do NOT accept Him fully as Lord & Saviour and do not surrender all to Him. It is that simple. Carnal and Spiritual cannot co-exist. One has to die! The question for you is... will it be the Spirit... or will it be the flesh?

These are those who say let us wear our own things... do our own things... but be called by Christ's name... Christian. They have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.

Christ made us free from the condemnation that came from sinning. As true Christians, Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”... OPPOSITES!

Exodus 19:5, 6 says, “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:” “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation...”.

Galatians 5:1 says, “Stand fast therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage”.

Yes, we are free as Americans! A special people and a great nation! But, we are even more free as Christians! A peculiar “treasure”! A holy “nation”! A kingdom of priests!

Today, is a high day for me. I celebrate 2 things... living in a free country to be able to believe in God according to my conscience while living in the pursuit of happiness.  But, I celebrate even more, living free because my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ freed me from the curse of sin, freed me from the condemnation & guilt that I deserved, took my sin on himself so that I may be free, ever changing me, and allows me to abide with Him forever, and gives me the joy that only He can give that no one or no circumstance can ever take away! People say "Freedom" & "Liberty" is a state of mind.  You see, I don't need to hang on to the guilt of my past because Christ has made me free.  I say, lets live in that state of mind as Christ meant for us to!

John 8:36 says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Folks, today is Independence Day for our country, the United States Of America. I celebrate this day for that reason... and

I am proud to be an American!

When I woke up this morning, God reminded me of an even better freedom & liberty that I have in Christ Jesus... and

I am proud to be a Christian!