The 4th of July just passed, and I can’t help but to think about why the colonists decided to seek their independence from Great Britain. There were many factors that led to the revolutionary war, but the main crux was more freedom. So many people fought and died for our independence and for our freedom. And it continues today.

Men and women fight in our military to protect the freedom that was sought and gained in the revolutionary war. So many sacrificed then and sacrifice now for our freedom. That’s why we say, “freedom isn’t free.”

I think we take our freedom for granted sometimes. Its natural. Especially when we ourselves haven’t put our lives on the line. Thank you for all you men and women of our armed forces who continue to protect what the first colonists started. They dared take a stand against tyranny and wanted to be free from the bondage of a government who wanted to control them.

It reminds me of another thing we often forget and take for granted. Another who dared to take a stand in our place to free us from Bondage. Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ came to us to free us from bondage and the control sin has over our lives. Our freedom begins by faith and goes beyond the here and now into eternity, and it wasn’t free.

Romans 8:2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

We too take this for granted. We are all slaves to sin. Sin keeps us in bondage. It ensnares and controls us in the present as it often creates troubles, difficulties, and confusion in our lives. It also traps us in the future as it keeps us eternally separated from our Creator God. But Jesus came and lived a sinless life, because we can’t. He died an innocent death so He could take away our sin and death. He sacrificed himself and took the penalty that he didn’t deserve for us, so we wouldn’t have to pay the penalty we do deserve.

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus not only frees us from the bondage of sin but frees us from the power of sin. John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. The awesome thing is once we receive our freedom as a gift by faith, it’s complete. “It’s finished” as Jesus said right before he died for us. The sacrifice is done. No one else needs to put their life on the line ever again, nor would anyone be qualified to do so.

Yet many walk around our world today taking this sacrifice for granted. There are many reasons why. Many simply don’t care to know, or simply don’t have time to ponder this great gift from God. Yet this will one day be a sacrifice that every single one of us will need to stay free eternally.

It’s great to be free. Free to write these words without fear of persecution. Free to speak up and stand against, and more importantly for the things we believe to be important to us. Free to wake up every day and go to the job of our choosing and buy the food of our liking and go and stay wherever it is we desire without restriction. This is a freedom we won’t give up easily. But this freedom is only half of the equation for Gods created people. This freedom is temporary and could be taken from us at any minute. But the freedom we have in Christ is not temporary and can never be taken from you.

I would encourage anyone who doesn’t know the freedom we have available to us in Christ, to come to Treasure Island Baptist Church or a good Bible believing, Bible teaching church and seek that freedom. You won’t be sorry.