The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays because it is the day that we celebrate the freedoms that we have as Americans. The freedom that we have came at a great price for the Founding Fathers of our nation. We are free today because they not only cherished freedom, but were also willing to pay for it. In the 235 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, countless others have paid a great price to protect and maintain that freedom.

Earlier this year I had the chance to go to Washington DC for the very first time. I got to see the White House, the Capitol Building, and the Supreme Court building. I also saw most of the monuments and war memorials in the same area. But the one thing that struck me the most was seeing the Bill of Rights because these amendments to the U.S. Constitution guarantee us the freedom to practice our religion and the freedom to talk about it. These are precious freedoms that must be honored, cherished and protected.

The freedom that we have as Americans takes a distant second place to the freedom that we have in Christ. Our freedom as Americans is temporary, limited to the time we spend in this country. The freedom that we have in Christ is unlimited, lasting for all of eternity. The freedom that we have as Americans can be taken away. We have certainly experienced a reduction in our freedoms in response to 9 / 11 and other terrorist attacks. The freedom that we have in Christ can never be taken from us because nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As Christians, we have been set free from sin, guilt and shame. These are God’s gifts to us through faith in Jesus Christ. Death has been defeated by Christ on the cross. It has no power over us. We are free to live in Christ and for Christ.  Because God has given us the freedom and forgiveness that we don’t deserve, the freedom and forgiveness that Christ won for us, we are called to lives of faith and faithfulness. Faithfulness means walking with God, listening to His voice and obeying His commands.

If you are like me, your prayer is that God will bless America. You and I play a part in God answering that prayer. Psalm 33:12 tells us, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.” When God is the Lord of our lives, when we are living faithfully according to His commands, and when we introduce others to the God who loves them, God will bless us. But when we turn our backs on God, do our own thing instead of obeying the Lord, and keep the faith to ourselves, then we deny the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives. How can we expect Him to bless us if we do that?

As you celebrate the Fourth of July, thank God for the Freedoms that we have as American Christians and respond to God’s gifts with faith and faithfulness. And continue to pray that God will bless America through all of us who call Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Your Partner in Faith and Freedom,

Larry Courson, Pastor of Peace