A Word from our President Lorilee Mundfrom

FREEDOM

This is the month when we celebrate Independence Day in the United States.  The celebration of this special holiday is done with many picnics, parades, parties, and family gatherings.  While many people have had much to do with the freedom that we have in our country - our government, our soldiers, our churches, and our forefathers - we also know that it is not something we can take for granted.  As we sing the “Star Spangled Banner” or “God Bless America” at ballgames throughout the country or at community celebrations, do we really consider the words of those songs?  Not only do we have the people mentioned above to thank for our freedom – we have God to thank for our freedom.  It is truly a gift from Him.  It is something we need to thank Him for every day.

The freedom that we have in Christ Jesus is something else we must thank God for every day.  Galatians 5:1 says: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” 

This freedom is a possession of those who trust in Christ Jesus as Savior.  When Christ Jesus died on Calvary’s cross, He did so for us to have freedom from the Law.  We know that the Law is the tool the Holy Spirit uses to show us our sin. Galatians 3:24 says: “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”   

Through Christ shedding His blood on the cross we have been made free!  We no longer dwell under the sentence of the Law (the Old Testament Law) but we dwell under the grace and love of Christ. 

Paul says a little later on in the Galatians 5:  “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”  (Galatians 5:13).  Here we see that this freedom brings responsibility to the Christian.  That responsibility is not to fulfill the Old Testament Law (Jesus did that for us when He died on the cross) but to “serve one another in love.”  Our responsibility as Christians is to serve one another.  We are to love others as Christ loves them and serve them as Jesus would have us serve them. 

As we live in society today, we have responsibility as “free people” to live by the laws of the land and in that way serve our communities and country and our fellow man.  Without the laws of the land, we would not be free because we would live in fear for our lives.

As a Christian, living in Christian freedom, I have responsibility to obey Christ’s call on my life to serve others where He has placed me.  This will include helping those who may seem to be “less desirable” than myself.  It will include answering the call to serve Him with ALL of my being.  It will include being willing to become vulnerable to criticism from others for doing what I know is the right thing to do.  It will include being humble.  It will include forgiving others when they have brought hurt to my life or the lives of my loved ones.