Verse of the Day: Galatians 5:1, Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Today, in our country, we celebrate those who gave their lives so that we can live free. Someone once said, “All gave some, but some gave all.” There are many who have given their lives in order that we could enjoy the freedoms we have today. However, many are working to take those freedoms away from us and enslave us again; not in way that is noticeable by all, and would cause us to stand up and fight for them, but in a subtle way that will cause us one day to wake up and wonder how it was that we lost them. It is like the illustration of the frog that in placed in a pot of cold water and as the water is slowly heated the frog adjusts its body temperature, not realizing that it is going to eventually meet its demise. The fact of the matter is that there is really no freedom like that which is found only in Christ Jesus. John 8:31-32 tells us, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). The freedom we have in Christ came to us much like the freedom we have in our country came to us; someone died in order that we might have it. John 3:16 clearly states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” As many of us see today, the freedom gained for us by those who died fighting for it can be taken from us if we are not careful to guard it and cherish it. If we are not vigilant, we will find ourselves enslaved to those who want to take those freedoms from us. In this verse, in Galatians, the Apostle Paul admonishes us not to entangle ourselves again, or enslave ourselves again, to the rituals and works that do nothing to earn us the freedom we have in Jesus Christ when we call upon Him, by faith, to be our Savior and Lord. Verse 4 of Galatians 5 reminds us that we do not need to be enslaved to the law if we a personal relationship with Jesus. It reads, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” The bottom line is that the greatest freedom we can celebrate and enjoy is the freedom we gain in having a saving knowledge and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. It is a freedom that we will never lose, because no one can take us out of His hands as we are told in John 10:28-30, which reads, “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.” Today, as we celebrate the freedom that so many gave their lives for, let us also remember, and celebrate, the true freedom we enjoy in Christ Jesus. We must refuse to give our freedom over to the devils by refusing to be entangled again to sin, rituals, and works that do nothing but hinder our relationship with the One who made the ultimate sacrifice, willingly, and in love, so that we could have the hope of spending eternity with Him and enjoy the freedom, here and now, that we have in Jesus and Jesus alone.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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