The month of July always begins with the national holiday known as Independence Day—the day representatives of the colonies in this Country signed a declaration of independence from Great Britain. We Normally refer to it as the “Fourth of July” rather than Independence Day and therefore I am discovering that even though schools do teach About the day there are those who have no idea that the Fourth of July is Independence Day. They have some fuzzy idea that it has to do with the country and they talk about the idea of freedom that is involved but do not know why people felt is important to sign a Declaration of Independence and fight a war to ensure independence.
They get the freedom part. We all want to be free. But, what do we want to be free from and what doe that freedom bring in terms of responsibility? (But, preacher, don’t you understand freedom means no responsibility?)
My friends, even as Christians we know that “freedom” from something means also freedom for something. The early church tried to walk a pathway between religion built upon a “slavery” to law and a “freedom” from law. And, what they soon discovered was that freedom from something did not mean that we were free to do anything they wanted. For the followers of Christ, it meant that they become “slaves” of Christ and his commands. If we love Him, we will do what He commands.
In our country we have no requirement—no responsibility—decreed by the government that we need to be part of a worshiping community. Yet, as the followers of Christ we have such a responsibility because we have been set free to love and serve with abandon. Not of the law of the responsibility coming from others but by the command of love that comes from a relationship with Christ and our brothers and sisters.
As we contemplate this week our freedom let us be careful to recall what true freedom is all about.
Pastor John