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Households all over America will soon be celebrating July 4th. Our thoughts will turn to friends, loved ones, and others who have given their lives to gain and maintain freedom for our country and other nations all over the world. Let us remember the American Alliance fighting side by side with them for these freedoms.
It is with a grateful heart, we take a moment to remember these men and women knowing that we could never fully repay them for the unselfish love and allegiance to their families, friends and their country.
America will weep with those who have lost loved ones and rejoice with them in pride because they bravely took a stand for freedom for mankind. We will pray unceasing for the safety of each still in the middle of war, and for the families left at home waiting and watching for the end to come soon to this war which will bring loved ones back home.
Scripture reminds me of another freedom gained by one man, Christ Jesus, who gave his life for the freedom of all mankind with no respect to person. Those who receive this precious gift of life will themselves, live eternal; and shall have true freedom.
‘So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to hear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.’
Hebrews 9:28 NIV
Because of his redeeming grace we are promised new life through God’s son. Ephesians 1: 4 ‘In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.’
I decided to do a thesaurus check on the word freedom. Some of the words I found were: independence, liberty, choice, free will and sovereignty. My attention was then brought to the word, sovereignty. The meaning of this word gives these descriptions: Dominion, rule, power, control. I found the word, autonomy, which means self-government or self-rule. This appears to suggest that one might have to be controlling and independent of others to have freedom, yet this is not so. True independence means that we have ‘the freedom to choose.’
Ask any human being who has not known freedom, and I am certain they would quickly tell you, they would want the right to make choices. This is one of the benefits of the freedom Christ gave us when he sacrificed his life. We now have the freedom, (liberty) to choose life and to allow the Spirit of God to rule in our lives. We can choose to crucify the unhealthy and fleshly desires and yield to his guidance thus living a full and joyous life.
This year, as we gather together, let each of us give thanks in our hearts for the freedoms granted through shed blood, dedication and loyalty of men and women to our country. As we raise our flags and place our hands to our hearts, let us recommit our pledge first to God, then to our country, that we will stand eternally as “One Nation under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All.”
Finally, let us give thanks to God for the freedom granted through our Lord and his shed blood.
© 2006 Marie Williams
