It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
The metallic medium used on July 4, 1776, to announce the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia was the Liberty Bell. It was cracked several times and now serves as a patriotic symbol.
The medium God uses to declare our independence from sin, Satan, and servitude to the fear of death is the Gospel. Whenever it is preached it proclaims spiritual liberty "throughout the land to all its inhabitants." Although it has done this for so many centuries, it has not cracked or broken; it is still in use and its message is circulating wider than ever before.
How precious and powerful is the Gospel! Saint Paul said he was not ashamed of it "because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). Jesus tells us what the Gospel is. Briefly, it is the good news that "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). The Gospel is the good news that through Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection we are set free to serve the living God, the heavenly Father, whom we love and who loves us.
The thirteen colonies had to fight to gain and retain their freedom. Christians must do the same to keep the liberating Gospel of Christ. Saint Paul writes to the Galatians: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery," that is, the slavery of trying to establish one's salvation by doing the works of the Law. Freedom is best preserved when it is used - when the freeing Gospel is believed, lived, and proclaimed.
PRAYER: Thank You, Lord God, for the freedom of the Gospel which proclaims the good news of my salvation in Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Devotions from "With Jesus Every Day" copyright 1997, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time emailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: 1 Kings 14-15 Acts 12
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