My present today was the gift of freedom. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, he sets us free from the bondage of sin. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36) Once saved, our lives are no longer tangled up in sin and shame.
The Bible says that where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (II Cor. 3:17) This is so true. Have you ever been in a worship service or even been worshipping by yourself, and you knew the Spirit of the Lord was present? You felt completely free during that time to worship uninhibitedly.
We are given the freedom to approach God. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Eph. 3:12) We don’t have to build up our courage, or wait until we think the timing is right. We don’t have to wait for an invitation. We have the freedom to approach God any time – day or night.
The freedoms that I mentioned fall into a category that I call spiritual freedoms.
There are also freedoms that I call secular freedoms. These are freedoms that allow us to express our beliefs publically. We have the freedom to worship where we please, when we please and how we please. We do not have to hide our Bibles, much less our faith. We are free to witness to others anytime. We have the right to assemble together in church buildings and storefront buildings and borrowed locations all over America. My concern is that these freedoms are in grave danger. Other religions in America are being given preferential treatment while Christianity is being choked out of existence. We as Christians need to stand up for our rights and not have the defeatist attitude that seems to have overtaken so many. I, for one, love my freedom to worship publically and do not want to lose it.
Father God, I pray that you will give us the courage to stand up for our rights as Christians. I pray that You will show us when to act, what to do and what to say. I ask that You stir the hearts of all Christians that we might stand united as one for our religious freedoms. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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