Independence

I'm a day late in posting this, but yesterday was really busy with all the festivities. We had a great time celebrating July 4 in Culpeper. The weather wasn't terribly cooperative (it rained off and on), but it was still fun.

Freedom means so many things to so many people. Freedom from addiction... Freedom from destructive behaviors... Freedom from relationships that lead us down wrong paths...

Paul addressed freedom in his letter to the Romans. He explained that through Christ's death, we are offered a different kind of freedom - freedom from the bondage of sin. To truly experience that kind of freedom, we must also experience death similar to Christ's.

What did Jesus say? "To be my disciple, you must pick up your cross and follow me daily."

Paul goes on to say in Romans that in this new found freedom, we must become a slave to righteousness. It is by this that we find holiness - the process of becoming more and more like Jesus Christ Himself. Ultimately, we have eternal life with the Lord.

I love the paradox of Christianity! In freedom, we must become slaves. In death, we find life!! It's important that we don't let the world define these words for us, but the Word of God. In the Word, we find new meaning... new meaning for our lives.

Happy Independence Day!!