What are you doing on this Memorial Day? Enjoying a cook out? Traveling? Spending time with family? Spending time with friends? If you are reading this in the United States, are you enjoying your freedom which was purchased and maintained by men and women who have served in the armed services since the inception of this country?
On this day, we need to be grateful in two different ways: vertically and horizontally.
First, we are grateful to God for providing us the freedom we enjoy in our country. With this freedom, we worship without government coercion in any way. Although we do not need government permission to worship, certainly we both enjoy and seek to take advantage of this freedom to live our faith and share our faith. What a great joy that is for us. God has blessed each of us in this moment of human history with uniquely open doors for living and sharing the Gospel.
Vertically, we also want to rejoice in Jesus Christ and His sacrificial atonement for our sins which purchased our eternal freedom. Rather than slavery to our sin nature and its consequences, through Jesus Christ we have redemption of our sins and live forgiven. The Apostle Paul refers to this wonderful freedom in Christ which offers the possibility of walking in the Spirit and serving others.
Second, we are grateful horizontally to those who provided us this freedom in their service to our country. Thousands have paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives either in active combat or while in service generally. We are so thankful for each one of these individuals. We do not take their sacrifice nor our freedom for granted.
On this Memorial Day, let me invite you to pause for a brief moment and rejoice on both these levels. Vertically, because God provides us our country as part of His grace to us, as well as the purchase of our forever freedom from sin and slavery to life in Christ through the cross of Jesus Christ. Horizontally, because many, many individuals have paid the supreme sacrifice for our freedom in that sense as well.
To God be the glory!
Image Credit Tucson.com
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
Trackbacks/Pingbacks