Friday, July 4, 2008

The Price of True Freedom

Isaiah 53:5-7

While I feel this is one of the most revealing Messianic passages in all of scripture, not everyone who believes in God feels that way. The Jewish Tanakh, or the Hebrew scriptures, contain the book of Isaiah, but the 53rd chapter has been removed. If ever anyone in the congregation questions the book, the answer is usually that the passage is too difficult to understand. When our faith is in Christ, the passage makes perfect sense.

This passage makes the old cliche' "Freedom's never free" jump off the page. It is not free. Christ was pierced, crushed, afflicted, despised, rejected by His own, wounded, and had all of our iniquity laid upon Him. Allow those words to bring the emotions that they would bring if it was happening to you and we will all boldly say "Freedom's never free". It always costs something. For the Christian, it cost Christ His life on the cross. Actually, for the non-Christian, Christ still gave His life so that all might have the opportunity to repent (See 2 peter 3:9).

Today as we celebrate our nation's freedom, let us remember the ones who gave their lives so that we might be free as well as the one's that are defending our nation's freedom right now at this very moment. May we also thank Jesus for giving His life that we might have ultimate freedom. He is truly the life giver and is worthy of all praise.

I also ask that we might join together today in praying for the millions of believers across the globe who are free in Christ, but are not free to worship Him. My heart is heavily burdened for them almost daily. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ and many of them can only worship in secret for fear of imprisonment, beatings, or death. Let us pray that they will embrace their freedom in Christ and the knowledge that one day they will be completely free to worship Him face to face. Let us never forget the persecuted church.

Enjoy this great day and all that it means to our nation and our faith.

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