True freedom comes from the grace of God

Beginning a week or so before the Fourth of July you hear a lot of rhetoric about people saying that the holiday often is taken for granted and that although the Fourth of July celebrates freedom many in America take freedom for granted.

Yes, the Fourth of July is about summer cookouts, time on the rivers or backyard pools, and in most places a fireworks display.

From the past experiences, I am sure that my neighborhood will have the sounds of explosions up until the night and even past the 4th of July.

As we think about freedom what does it mean for us as Americans?

Our Declaration of Independence says that all people regardless of the color of their skin or their sexuality have the right to pursue a good life, a life of liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Over the past year, we have all seen the struggles of the people of Ukraine trying to be free from Russia’s war with them.

We will recall our independence struggle when we fought our war of independence from Great Britain and won it and 1781.

We celebrate July 4th because that is when the Constitution was ratified and we declared our independence.

Independence Day commemorates the Declaration of Independence of the United States, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.

Many people over the years since that war has lost their lives trying to uphold the values that we hold true to be free.

I am celebrating my 50th anniversary of graduation this fall from high school.

I was just 17 years old, in my senior year, and I was praying for both sides to agree on the shape of the table to begin peace talks in 1971.

In my junior year, my draft number was 13, and in my senior year, it was 6.

Thus, I was glad when they suspended the draft and I was able to attend college at Northeast Louisiana University.

I lost several of my high school classmates in combat during the Viet Nam Conflict.

My son was even wounded when he was sent over to be a part of Iraqi Freedom from the tyranny of its dictator, Saddam Hussein.

But what does the scripture say about being free?

And what are we free from?

Of course, we would say sin or missing the mark of following God’s Word in the Old and New Testaments.

King David who faced many hard situations (albeit some he made himself) said “Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.” Psalm 118:5

Jesus told the first disciples, “and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

Jesus also said, “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.” John 8:31-36

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Christians in Rome said, “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:22-23

The truth is the gospel about the kingdom of God and the forgiveness of sin on the cross of Calvary that Jesus taught about and gave up his life for us all to have.

True freedom comes when we make the good confession of Jesus Christ as our savior and we are no longer bound to sin.

But we also live that freedom under the grace of God, which I am so thankful for because I fail to always live up to being a follower of Jesus’ words fully.

Even though we try to live a Christ-like life, we often miss the mark as those of the past did.

Always remember that God uses us just as we are.

The Scriptures remind us that Noah got drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob lied, Joseph was abused, Moses was a murderer and couldn’t talk, Gideon was afraid, and Samson had long hair and was afraid.

Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David was a murderer and adulterer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Job went bankrupt, John the Baptist ate bugs, Peter denied Jesus three times, and the Disciples fell asleep while praying, and Paul was a murderer, and then God chose me.

But the Apostle Paul reminds us “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13

But through love, serve one another.

Wow

Serve one another.

Don’t judge one another.

Love One another.

Love is love and embraces all.

All are welcome to come to God’s Welcoming Table and experience God’s true freedom and love.

That is the key to true freedom.

We cannot keep the freedom that we have received from God through Jesus to ourselves, but we must proclaim it and share it.

Or as my favorite text says, ” but treat the Messiah as holy, as Lord in your hearts; while remaining always ready to give a reasoned answer to anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you — yet with humility and fear.”1 Peter 3:15

We must live it out each day, not only when we are at church, but at work, at our BBQs and at our Fourth of July celebrations

As we celebrate the Fourth of July may we be true to our nation’s freedom and the freedom of all people around the world to live a life not bound by others.

May we also tell everyone through our world the good news that faith in Jesus Christ set us free.

On this Fourth of July remember the words of the apostle Paul: “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness, “made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (1 Corinthians 4:6-7)

Rev. Frank Chlastak began work as senior minister of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Poplar Bluff in 2015. He is a graduate of Northeast Louisiana University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has served congregations of the Christian Church in Louisiana, Arkansas, Virginia, Oklahoma and Missouri.