“Proclaim liberty through all the land to all the inhabitants thereof.”
Those words from Leviticus 25:10 are inscribed on what we know as The Liberty Bell, which rang out at the signing of the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago and which also announced other momentous events in our nation’s history. Because of its famous crack, it no longer peals, but the freedom it proclaims continues to resound throughout our land. To which we say: “Let freedom ring!” And to which we might add: “Loud and clear for all to hear!”
Of course, the freedom that we as Christians celebrate is not just the political freedom to choose our own leaders and through them to write and enforce our own laws. It is the much deeper and more important freedom that comes through faith in Christ. It is the freedom to face the brutal facts about our sinful condition and to embrace the beautiful truth about our Lord’s unconditional love that forgives all our sins because of Jesus. It is also the freedom to choose to obey the laws (commands) which our Lord has lovingly given to His people.
That’s freedom! Real freedom! The kind that needs to be proclaimed throughout the world by all who know what it means to live in that freedom.
This freedom is available to all, regardless of their status or nationality. And, marvelously, this freedom can never be taken away from us. So, let freedom ring, loud and clear for all to hear!
Especially because our freedom came at such a steep cost. That is true both of the political freedom we celebrate this month and the freedom in Christ that we enjoy every day. Our nation’s founding fathers sacrificed many things in the pursuit of their freedom; our loving Brother sacrificed everything to purchase ours.
Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, we also experience another kind of freedom: freedom from fear, especially fear of the Enemy--the devil with all his power and death with all its sorrow.
This month, our nation will be honoring many of its heroes. Let us always honor the greatest Hero of all, who paid the highest price ever, to win for us the most precious freedom imaginable, the freedom not just to live, but also to die, without fear.
So, let freedom ring! Loud and clear for all to hear!
Photo © Takayuki Ueda/iStock
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