Freedom Isn’t Free
He had been a successful businessman in our small community, and when I was introduced to him, he had become a widower. Our mutual respect grew well, and our conversations were frequent. He was a veteran of WWI, having served in France. This made an even stronger bond between us as my grandfather was also a WWI veteran, having served at Base Hospital 123, La Harve, France. While preaching in a meeting in Illinois, I received a phone call informing me he had died. He had left word with the funeral director that I was to preach at his funeral. He was the last of all WWI veterans in Noble County, Ohio.
Now, only a few WWII veterans remain. Soon, we will be saying the same of Korean, Vietnam, and other war veterans. Life seems to go on without much notice of these men and women who live but fought valiantly to protect our freedom. And those who died in these fights are remembered only serendipitously as we look at fields of headstones in various cemeteries, noting a small flag of appreciation marking that honorable person. Seldom do we consider the price of our freedom until something like the 4th of July, or Memorial Day, or articles like this call its reality to mind.
The word “freedom” is found only once in the KJV (Acts 22:28). That passage has nothing to do with salvation, but rather the fact that the chief captain of the Roman army obtained his freedom by buying it. His was a freedom that permitted him the privileges granted “naturally” to those who were born into this world as Roman citizens; much like the freedom we citizens of the United States enjoy: freedom that requires money, testing, and confessed loyalty from those requesting citizenship in this country.
While the Christian is “free,” this freedom came at a tremendous cost. The Christian is free from sin (Romans 6:18; 22; 8:2), but the price of this “freedom” cost the Son of God His life! This is what Paul is talking about when he said, “Ye are bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23) and what Peter is saying when he wrote, “Ye are not redeemed (bought back) with corruptible things ... but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18 – 19).
In this country, patriotism has an ebb and flow, too often influenced by the public’s perception of military participation in the continued protection of our threatened freedom. For example, patriotism abounded after our country was attacked on 9-11-01. More recently, the ending of the proclaimed threat of nuclear war prompted a resurgence of patriotism. Unfortunately, such enthusiasm is short-lived, and we recline into a false security of thinking “all is well.” When our freedom is threatened again, patriotism will increase again, and the cycle repeats.
It is this way with obedience to Christ. When physical life is endangered, souls “get religious” for a while. When the danger seems to pass, a sense of false security takes precedence, and again, an “ease in Zion” permeates our world. We tend to take for granted that WE didn’t die to assure our freedom from sin – Christ did! Our duty is to put the old man of sin to death, bury him in baptism, and rise to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:1-6). Our “cost” for such freedom is to surrender the life of sin and obey the gospel. The cost to Jesus was His life! His resurrection grants us hope of eternal life with Him, but only if we remain faithful unto our death (1 Peter 1:3-5). Still, Jesus paid the ultimate price for this freedom. We Christians remember His death each Lord’s Day (1 Corinthians 11: 23 – 30).
Paul informed us, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1) Worse than those who rebel against the freedom we enjoy in this country, freedom that cost the lives of thousands of men and women who bravely fought to defend it, there are countless thousands who rebel against the Anointed One of heaven, who paid dearly for our freedom from sin! They act as though this freedom is “owed” to them without any further duty from them other than to accept it. They know that isn’t true for the freedom enjoyed in this country. Why would it be true for those desiring eternity with God? What are YOU willing to give and do for the freedom from sin purchased by the blood of Christ?