In Congress. July 4, 1776

Day 14

It’s a beautiful Independence Day today. P’raps a little on the humid side, but sunny and warm. Tonight there’s to be a barbecue and fireworks (if we can find ’em).

It’s a nice relaxing way to celebrate freedom.

“Relaxing” is hardly the word one would use to describe that July day in Philadelphia back 231 years ago. Benjamin Franklin stated upon signing the Declaration, “We must all hang together or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Here in the 21st century, we must realize that they had no clue how the War was going to turn out. What the Signers did in affixing their signatures to the document was certainly bold, risky, and perhaps a little crazy.  After all, treason was a hanging offense.

But the War was won, and we are free, thanks to those many many “heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life!” as Katharine L. Bates put it so poetically.

Onward.

2 Corinthians 2:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

Have you experienced that freedom yet? You can live in the most free country on earth, yet still be chained up in the darkness of sin, on your way to hell, without God, without hope.

You can be free. You can have hope. You can know for certain that heaven waits on the other side of death. And it’s all because of Jesus Christ: He is God who became perfect Man, then offered up his life in your place. By dying, he  paid the penalty for sins, so that we could go free. He rose again and offers salvation from hell as a gift (no strings attached, no payment on our part!) to those who simply believe – trust that he took care of all our sins with his death.

If you “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”, you will be saved. And today can truly be an Independence Day!

Author: made4eternity

A sinner saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. View all posts by made4eternity