You Are Free – Time For Celebration

“ …. if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” – John 8:36

As often happens when I sit down in front of my computer to craft another devotion, the Spirit of God will prompt a thought.  Today it is freedom. Not much of a stretch on the 4^th of July. This is my 68^th Independence Day celebration, the day marked when the 13 colonies declared their independence from British rule.  But I have another day to celebrate my independence, the 12^th of September, 1976.  My 43^rd Independence Day.  That is the day that I was set free from the bondage of Sin – forever.

January 1, 1804 is the day that Haitians celebrate their independence for France. I received a message from a pastor friend in Haiti yesterday.  Just a short note “Hey brother, Koman ou ye.” (How are you?) His short message brought back a flood of memories. I have stood next to this man, Him translating while I preached to the people of the church he pastors. Before hundreds of people as we both preached at crusades in the mountains. Unlike the United States celebration, there won’t be barbeques in the back yard – family and friends gathering. The people of Haiti are still in a daily struggle of survival.  They do not enjoy the financial prosperity that is taken for granted in this country.  But then, even though we in this country celebrate freedom from British rule, most people still struggle under that the rule of our sin nature and the god of this world. The same is true for Haiti and every other country on this planet.

“whose minds the god of this age [Satan] has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” – 2 Corinthians 4:4

Those people live their lives independent from God’s rule, thinking that they are free.  The great deception is that that when they ignore God, they are free. But they are not.  They are under bondage to Sin. 

“God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” – Romans 1:24-25

If you are a Christian – no matter where you live – what your nationality is – what the color of your skin is – what the traditions of your fathers are – you are free in and through Christ.  The world is getting darker with each day passing. ( I encourage you to read Romans 1:16-32 to see a reflection of what is happening all around us and gain spiritual understanding as to why it is happening.) But as troubling as things may be, the darker the night – the brighter the light!

The day you were born again by the Spirit is also the day that you were set free from spiritual bondage – a slave to sin no more. Now that is something to celebrate.

Tonight the skies will be filled with fireworks. But every day you are filled with a holy fire – the Holy Spirit.  So let the light of that fire shine before all men so they might see Jesus and set free.