“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26)
“Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
Happy Independence Day! I pray that you are able to celebrate the freedoms we have as Americans just as you planned. I, however, am in store for a very wet and rainy Fourth of July. The weather forecast is calling for 100 percent chance of rain. As I tweeted last night, “100 percent chance is more like a certainty than possibility.” Therefore, my family and I may not get to see fireworks as usual this year. This means we are going to have to find a new tradition for celebrating the Fourth of July. After all there is more to Independence Day than fireworks. For example, we can reflect on our freedom and I like the phrase, “that all men were created equal” because every person is equal in America, and in the eyes of the Lord since we were all created in His image.
The phrase, “that all men were created equal” is recorded in the Declaration of Independence. This statement has been referred as the “immortal declaration” because it infers that human beings are created by an intelligent designer. Personally, I believe our creator is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God of the Old and New Testament who gave His Son Jesus Christ as a ransom for many. Therefore the phrase “that all men are created equal” is not a humanist proclamation but a synthesis of Genesis 1:26, which says, “Let us make man in our own image.” In other words, all human beings are created in the image of God. This makes all people of race, background, nationality, or otherwise equal in God’s eyes. As a result, on this Independence Day we can celebrate how God has shared His very essence with us. This in turn means we should equally respect one another, despite our differences, because when we look at each person we are looking at the image of God. But, our celebration doesn’t have to stop with how we are created. We can celebrate our Christian independence as we celebrate our American freedoms.
There is no better way to remember that we are free than to recognize that as a Christian we free indeed! Galatians 5:1 tells us, “Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Christians stand before the Lord and the world as free creatures. We are free because we have place out faith in Christ Jesus by repenting and believing on Christ. Therefore, as Romans 8:1 tells us, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Christians can celebrate that our independence is found in Christ dying for our sins on the Cross. We don’t have to live in the fear of being eternally separated from God the Father. Christ defeated death and sin. As a result, His liberation from sin and death is God’s redemptive plan for all of humanity and that is independence worth celebrating. In other words, we have many freedoms to celebrate today that are more than just fireworks.
So matter how you are celebrating Independence Day, let me encourage you to remember that God has given you His image. He has provided you with an opportunity for independence from your pain, sickness, sorrow, and death. All you need to do is to repent and believe that Jesus Christ is the sacrifice for your sin and make Him your Lord and Savior. By doing so you will have an independence and freedom for this life and for eternity, than just for our nation.
In conclusion, let’s celebrate our nations independence, but I encourage you to not stop there. Instead celebrate lavishly by having another reason to honor the Fourth of July. Celebrate by embracing Christ today, either again or for the first time, and celebrate the freedom that Jesus brings to our lives and forever more. Let (His) freedom ring!
