The Cost of Freedom
Posted by Ray Norris on 02 July, 2010
Category General
This being the 4th of July weekend I have been thinking about what that really means. I looked in the newspaper and online and discovered that we may be so busy with activities: fireworks displays, block parties, firecracker sales at your favorite store, baseball games, etc., etc. that we may not have time to really think about what freedom really means and what it has cost.
I began to think about the price that has been paid for my freedom and for yours. As politicians argue and fuss about many things, I have come to understand that freedom has seldom been won in the halls of Congress or some other legislative arena. Freedom has been won in the trenches by people who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for you and I. It is not possible to legislate courage, stamina, character and honor. In my office, above my bookcase, is a picture of the spread wings of an eagle painted to look like the American flag. In front of those spread wings is a soldier in combat gear. In the upper right corner is the verse, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) I look at that picture every time I enter my office and it is positioned so it would be difficult for anyone to miss it. So many have given their lives for mine that it is difficult and painful to consider.
Next to that picture, however, is a picture of Christ on the cross, and again my eyes fill with tears when I consider the sacrifice God made for me. I have been very angry at my kids, as most parents have, but never have I been angry enough to willingly watch them suffer. And certainly I would not be willing to give their life for another. If we are honest, I don't know of any parent that would willingly do that. Yet, that is what God did for us and it's what countless persons in uniform have done.
I looked the word "freedom" up in Webster's and there is nothing there that describes it adequately. Perhaps that's because the dictionary lists "Freedom" as a noun. I like to think of it as a verb. It is not a descriptor, but it is an action word. Freedom comes because someone took the necessary action.
Scripture tells us that if we are free in Christ we are free indeed. The action is two fold. First, God through Christ took action in making the ultimate sacrifice for me (and for you). The second part of that is that I must accept that freedom. If I condemn myself as being unworthy and thus do not accept that freedom his death may have been in vain. We hear these words in 1st Peter 3:18, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous...." Remember, he did not die for a few, or for those in worship every Sunday, or for the guy next door, but HE DID IT FOR YOU to give you freedom.
Freedom is very costly! Odds are high that anyone reading this has had a friend or family member killed in action as a member of the military. The vast majority of those men and women did not know my name or yours, yet for you and I they marched into battle and gave their all in the cause of freedom. This weekend and always, remember to thank a vet or an active duty military person.
Our freedom as children of God was also very costly. Christ died that we might live. He died to give us freedom from sin. Remember to thank him daily. And this Sunday, thank him in person at the worship service of your choice. Many of us will have a 72 hour weekend, so what's one hour out of that?
God bless each of you and God bless America the home of the brave and the land of the free!
Pastor Ray
I began to think about the price that has been paid for my freedom and for yours. As politicians argue and fuss about many things, I have come to understand that freedom has seldom been won in the halls of Congress or some other legislative arena. Freedom has been won in the trenches by people who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for you and I. It is not possible to legislate courage, stamina, character and honor. In my office, above my bookcase, is a picture of the spread wings of an eagle painted to look like the American flag. In front of those spread wings is a soldier in combat gear. In the upper right corner is the verse, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) I look at that picture every time I enter my office and it is positioned so it would be difficult for anyone to miss it. So many have given their lives for mine that it is difficult and painful to consider.
Next to that picture, however, is a picture of Christ on the cross, and again my eyes fill with tears when I consider the sacrifice God made for me. I have been very angry at my kids, as most parents have, but never have I been angry enough to willingly watch them suffer. And certainly I would not be willing to give their life for another. If we are honest, I don't know of any parent that would willingly do that. Yet, that is what God did for us and it's what countless persons in uniform have done.
I looked the word "freedom" up in Webster's and there is nothing there that describes it adequately. Perhaps that's because the dictionary lists "Freedom" as a noun. I like to think of it as a verb. It is not a descriptor, but it is an action word. Freedom comes because someone took the necessary action.
Scripture tells us that if we are free in Christ we are free indeed. The action is two fold. First, God through Christ took action in making the ultimate sacrifice for me (and for you). The second part of that is that I must accept that freedom. If I condemn myself as being unworthy and thus do not accept that freedom his death may have been in vain. We hear these words in 1st Peter 3:18, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous...." Remember, he did not die for a few, or for those in worship every Sunday, or for the guy next door, but HE DID IT FOR YOU to give you freedom.
Freedom is very costly! Odds are high that anyone reading this has had a friend or family member killed in action as a member of the military. The vast majority of those men and women did not know my name or yours, yet for you and I they marched into battle and gave their all in the cause of freedom. This weekend and always, remember to thank a vet or an active duty military person.
Our freedom as children of God was also very costly. Christ died that we might live. He died to give us freedom from sin. Remember to thank him daily. And this Sunday, thank him in person at the worship service of your choice. Many of us will have a 72 hour weekend, so what's one hour out of that?
God bless each of you and God bless America the home of the brave and the land of the free!
Pastor Ray