Live a truly free life today

I hope everyone had a safe and meaningful Independence Day yesterday. It is a day that we celebrate our freedom from political tyranny. We are proud of the fact that The United States is a relatively free country. So free, in fact, that people from all over the world clamor to our shores to live the good life that our freedom affords.

However, just because we live in a free country like The United States does not really make us free. There are many people in our country who live in one form of bondage or another. But Paul tells us in his letter to the Galatians, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Gal. 5:1). Paul knew what it meant to be truly free. He lived a good part of his life in chains and behind bars, but he still knew more about freedom than most of us will ever know.

Many people who live in a free America are not truly free because they have the bondage of sin hanging around their necks and they cannot shed the guilt of their past. Paul knew that in Christ our sins have been forgiven and our guilt has been removed. That knowledge is truly a liberation to our lives.

Many today are also living their lives in the bondage of fear. Many are afraid of losing their jobs. Some are afraid about their health or growing older. Some are afraid for family members or a host of other troubling fears. But Jesus can help us with those fears as well. Paul was a man who had nothing to fear. He trusted God so much that there was nothing that his captors could threaten him with that could hinder his relationship with God.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful not only to live in a free country but also be free from our guilt and fear? You are already blessed to live in this great nation of ours. And you can live in freedom from guilt and fear, if you will give your life and your cares over to Jesus. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Live a truly free life today.

Pastor Tim Hobbs