Pastor's Newsletter Column, July 2010

Let Freedom Ring!
The sparklers sparkle and the firecrackers snap, crackle, and pop. All to celebrate our national independence. Historically speaking, “the rockets red glare” was to commemorate our freedom from the Throne of England, but has in recent years become a general celebration of patriotism, independence, and freedom; a favored and favorite hallmark of every individual in the United States of America. This freedom is so perfectly explained in the fourth stanza of the Star Spangled Banner:

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

As we ponder the freedoms that God has granted us to have in our country, it is an appropriate time to also ponder how God, in His fatherly divine goodness and mercy sent His Son into human flesh to grant us freedom from the powers of sin, death, and the devil. As Paul has written in his letter to the Romans, “we know that our old self was crucified with Him… that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has bee freed from sin.” (Rom. 6:6-7)

Sin no longer rules our life imposing itself on us. We are no longer bound to sin for sin no longer has any mastery over us. Instead, “you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” (Rom.6:18) We are no longer bound to sin, instead we are bound to righteousness. As Jesus proclaims to His followers in St. Matthew 11:30 “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Our will is now bound to do the Father’s will, receiving His goodness and mercy freely. Bound to live in righteousness all the days of our lives. Freed from sin, bound to Jesus.

May we always thank God for the freedoms He has given to us in our country. May we always see that He has granted us a greater freedom; a freedom freely given to us to live eternally with Him through our Savior Jesus.