Freedom

My mom sent me this email and I just had to post it today!! Happy 4th of July!!!

John 8:32 & 36 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…..Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!

July 4th Week, it is hard for me to think of freedom and the enjoyment of our freedom as Americans without also thinking of the freedom we have in Christ. There is no other greater freedom than what American Christians can experience. Political freedom and Spiritual freedom. How sad that people would choose to reject the freedom that Christ offers and continue to be a slave of sin. People around the world do not have the privilege of choosing political freedom, we as Americans today were born with the privilege that was purchased with the blood of those who went before us. No wonder that people around the world want to move to our land, to the land of the free! Freedom comes with a price tag! And that price was paid for by others that we might enjoy our freedom today. And that is true of our spiritual freedom as well. Jesus paid for our salvation, for our freedom with his blood.

This story from the past of our country spoke to my heart about the freedom we have been given.

When the gold mines of California was drawing men from all over the world and especially our own country an Englishman was caught up in the fever. After a year he struck it rich! Sold his mine and was on his way home a rich man. His travel towards the East coast and eventually home brought him to New Orleans. Walking the streets he was drawn to a crowd of people yelling and having a good time. He soon realized it was an auction for slaves. Slavery had been outlawed in England. Curiosity caused him to stay and watch as people sold other people as though they were simply property. A beautiful young black girl was pushed onto the platform. Made to walk around and poked and prodded, her dignity as a human was being destroyed. The gold miner heard the jeers and the remarks of evil all around him. The bidding began. Quickly the bidding went beyond what would have been a typical price. The gold miner watched and as he watched an anger began to rise in him. At the sound of going once! Going twice! He yelled a price twice the going bid. SOLD! He had bought another human being. As the girl stepped down from the platform and the auctioneer motioned for the man to pay for her. He opened the bag of gold and paid in gold! As the girl was led over to him she spit in his face and said “I hate you!” The gold miner wiped his face and without a word took the girl by the hand and walked down the street. Eyes were watching, voices jeering. As he walked along he seemed to be looking for a particular store. Finally he stops, motions for the girl to stay and walks in side a building. The girls curiosity is aroused, she peers through the window and sees the miner arguing, hears the clerk say “It is the Law, you can’t do this!!” but the miner takes out his bag of gold and pours it out on the counter. The clerk takes out some papers, the miner signs them. As he steps out onto the street where the girl is waiting,She turns away from him. He puts the papers in front of her and says “these are your manumission papers, you are free.” The girl doesn’t look at him or the papers. “Take them he says, your free.” “I hate you, why do you make fun of me.” She says. “No, listen, these are your freedom papers. You are a free person.” The girl looked at the papers, then looks at him and at the papers. “You just bought me…and now you are setting me free?” “That is why I bought you, I bought you to set your free.” The beautiful young girl fell to her knees in front of the miner, tears streaming down her face. “You bought me to set me free! You bought me to set me free!” she said over and over. Clutching his boots, the girl looked up at the miner and said, “All I want to do is to serve you, because you bought me to set me free!”
“if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!” Enjoy your freedom today and tell the Lord how much you will serve him because he has set your free!