A layman is anyone who did not go to seminary. The layman that wrote the devotional below is my brother, whom I admire very much. He graduated from West Point in 2008, he’s served on several tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, he’s currently active duty, and he’s one of my heroes. Having that said, he’s also a great writer. Aren’t you completely shocked?
Today I wanted to honor him on his birthday (yep it’s his birthday on the day of our nation’s independence) for his service and for being the great hero in my life. I hope his words speak to you and that you honor those in your life who fight for our freedoms that we so often take for granted.
On July 4th, 1776, our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, formally severing ties with Great Britain. This was not the start of the conflict; that had happened over a year before at Lexington and Concord, and there was even strife before that with the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party (the British did not enjoy that party very much). The Declaration was different though.
By signing this piece of paper, the Founding Fathers were officially declaring themselves part of a new nation. They would forever have a new identity, and there was no going back. If America had lost the war, this paper would’ve become their death warrant. They were willing to sacrifice their lives and property for this freedom from the Crown. They were all in, never again to be British citizens. In much the same way, our freedom in Christ means that we are either all in, or we are not.
In John chapter 8, Jesus is having one of his long discourses with the religious leaders, when He makes a seemingly abrupt diversion to the topic of freedom. He said to “the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” (v. 31, ESV).
I am a layman believer, so I won’t even attempt to delve into the Greek on “abide,” “know,” and “truth.” I will try to draw three general applications though, as I am likely not the only saint who struggles with patterns of sin, or sinner who struggles with transformative grace.
First, the freedom Jesus offers means that we are all in, like the Founding Fathers of 1776. We must abide in His Word and be His disciples. Paul, in Romans 6:16, notes that “if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (ESV). Furthermore, we are either committed to the kingdom of God—as “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)—or we are still part of the old kingdom of this world, as the Founding Fathers were either citizens of a nascent American nation or rebels of Britain. We cannot be both.
Second, by abiding in His Word, we know the truth intimately, and that’s what sets us free. We have the ability through His grace to live as something more than this world. That requires a daily commitment to taking up our cross to seek Him and His way, which is much better for our lives than our own (Luke 9:23). It’s hardest when we don’t understand where He is taking us or what He is doing, and we just have to trust that He brought this earth into being long before we arrived and He has better plans than we can see. That trust brings freedom.
Lastly, per the old adage, freedom is not free. It cost the Founding Fathers significant sacrifice, and it cost our Lord and Savior His very life. Jesus said that “everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin,” but “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34, 36, ESV). Only Jesus can possibly set us free from all the sins that have trapped us for so many years, but that meant laying down His life that He might take it up again (John 10:17). The author of Hebrews notes that “by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14, ESV). That’s us—those being sanctified through His finished work on the cross.
The choice is ours now. Will we submit our desires this day to Him for the better joy and freedom that only the Son can bring? Or will we return our allegiance to the old life, the old way, the old world that we so violently tried to break away from but are still partly clinging to? Freedom isn’t free. Lord, help us sign a Declaration daily to take up our cross and follow You.