Independence Day

Romans 5:6-8, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (NIV)

This is a weekend in our nation in which we are given the opportunity to celebrate our freedom as a nation of people. This is a corporate or national freedom that was purchased on the back of a group of our ancestors who chose to throw off the tyranny of the Motherland and establish a nation that would offer freedom of choice, freedom of religion and the freedom to pursue our goals as fellow human beings. But we must pause and remember that those freedoms came with a cost. It cost brave men and women their limbs, their health, their finances and many of them paid the ultimate price with their lives.  Many wars have followed the war known as the Revolutionary War and many of those same prices have been paid time and time again. We must always remember that the freedoms that we celebrate as Americans DID NOT COME CHEAP. There has been a steep price throughout the years of our existence as a nation and we need to  remember and honor those who were members of those groups who have fought battles in our place. 

This weekend also affords us the opportunity to focus on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of humanity. His story of sacrifice is still amazing to me after all of these years. The Apostle Paul reminds the church at Rome of the decision that Christ made regarding humanity. Christ chose to die in our place even when we were living in opposition to His principles (ungodly). Paul also goes on to remind us that God demonstrated His love through His death on the cross. The Love of God was placed on display on Calvary as Christ paid the ultimate price for our sins. Once again the Apostle reminds us that Christ died "while we were still sinners..." 

Praise and thanksgiving should rise in our hearts and flow from our lips as we recognize the Amazing Grace of Jesus Christ!!