Happy Fourth of July

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16 ESV)

I find Peter’s words compelling. Live as people who are free; we are blessed to live in a country where we are free from tyranny. However, many live exactly as Peter warned us about, using their freedom to justify anything they want to do. As a result, we are beginning to lose our freedoms. Our freedom of speech is curtailed by a counter, cancel culture that refuses to hear anything other than what it believes. Because of its evil, this culture labels people because of beliefs and speech.

Live free because we are free, and we should not change who we are as Christians because someone finds it offensive. We serve an almighty God, a God who knows all things, is everywhere at the same time, and is all-powerful, having created everything Ex Nihilo, from nothing.

Ignore the counter-culture as they have decided their own destiny, which is not pretty. Live free because God made you that way. He delivered you from bondage, the bondage of sin and death. A deliverance from bondage that you took no part in other than to have faith in Christ. Even then, it is God who elected you to be able to have faith in Christ.

Live free because many died for your freedom on this earth, but more importantly, one died so that many could live an eternity in heaven. He was tortured, nailed to a tree, becoming a curse, and buried in the earth for three days only to rise again in bodily form, to be seen, touched, and heard. Then ascend to heaven, opening the narrow gate for all who know him.

Enjoy the 4th of July, the celebration of the independence of the United States—a country that began with nothing but faith in Christ and a few brave men.

Peace!