Are We Really Free?

It all starts with the concept of freedom. Two hundred and fifty years ago individuals in the new land were talking about freedom. Freedom from the control of the king an ocean away. They wanted to make their own rules and their own way of governing. One that fit the new country and the people that were there. The idea of freedom grew into what we call the Revolutionary War. No, not everyone wanted to be separate from England and the king, but everyone always wants freedom.

That concept is not lost on us today. Though at times the freedom from government that our forefathers fought for seems to be diminished. Some laws we may have seem to restrict our rights, others we feel are proper to restrict behavior that does not fit with the life we see God desires for His creation.

As His creation, we want to be free; but, what is that freedom all about? We want to be free to live our lives a certain way. Free to avoid encounters with those whose lifestyles are not in line with our Heavenly Father’s plan. Free to make our own decisions. But that is not the freedom He explains through those He inspired years ago to pen: it’s not a set of laws but a lifestyle pleasing to Him.

The freedom we have is from sin. Now, that is not to say that sin has been vanquished from this world. We can look around us and see that it hasn’t. And if we are honest with ourselves, we can look into the mirror and see that it is still here in our lives. The freedom from sin is an eternal freedom, a freedom from the consequences of that sin which is an eternal separation from our Heavenly Father. The freedom we have is one we understand, but don’t fully live out in this world.

What we do live out in this world is just the opposite. We talk about freedom a lot especially in this country and at this time of year. And as citizens we do have an abundance of freedom. But, if you look though those words written by God’s inspired servants of the past, you will see a different pictured painted of our lives. The picture that is painted is quite the opposite, it is one of submission, one of self- sacrifice, one of slavery.

Hold it, how did we get from freedom to slavery? By understanding who we are individually and collectively. The month of July will be devoted to understanding all of this, first with our kickoff lesson this Sunday titled “Freedom”, then the following weeks in a series called “Down the Aisle--with Christ”.

As we go through the Independence Day celebrations, think about the freedom we have in Christ. The freedom from the bondage of sin that separates us from God. Then look forward to understanding the marriage that takes place because of that freedom we have.

Enjoying the freedom of marriage!

Randy

Freedom

We are in a nationalistic phase of our calendar. This past Monday was Memorial Day where we remember those who have given their lives for us to have the freedoms we have. In another month we will celebrate Independence Day, the day that our forefathers declared their independence from English rule. It was the start of our “self-rule on the other side of the pond” in the words of our friends from whom we declared independence. Both of these celebrations are marked with red, white and blue, picnics, cookouts and times to be with family.

Sure, there are other holidays that we celebrate in this country, some even dealing with the nationalistic fervor that we have. We have days celebrating men who helped secure freedoms, presidents, and even preachers. We have Constitution Day in September. There is Veteran’s Day in November and our newest day, Patriot’s Day on 9/11. The one other day that is somewhat lost but also deals with the red, white and blue is Flag Day, which falls about half way between Memorial Day and Independence Day, on June 14th.

Though not perfect, I think we can be happy and rejoice in what we have in this country. To show how we have a desirable place to live, we just need to look at our immigration stats. Over the past 30 years, we have averaged around one million permanent residents in the US with over 800,000 becoming citizens each year. And that is the legal side of things. In 2021, over a million illegal immigrants came into our country, giving an estimate of over 11 million believed to be here. Again, not a perfect place, but a place where many would love to live.

If it was only like that with the church. Think about what it would be like to have to place guards at our doors on Sunday morning to keep people from wanting to be part of the church. Imagine people we know calling us up and pleading with us to bring them to church on a Sunday, kind of like their sponsor to get them in.

Maybe the reason it’s not like this, is because we haven’t been good at selling what we have. You know, some who claim to follow Christ just aren’t the best poster child for Christianity. Maybe we aren’t excited enough about what we have. Maybe it is too “boxed in”, you know, if you don’t fit into this type of box then-- sorry you are not wanted. These are all things we can work on.

But we have to start someplace and that is on our knees. Over the next 30 days (between these two big days of celebration in the US) let’s pray to be what we need to be so that people will come to know of God’s love. We will be talking more about this on Sunday. If you miss the sermon this week and the details about this, you can always catch it on our YouTube channel through our web page.

So, over the next few weeks enjoy the privileges that we have in this country, remembering those who helped us in the past. And remember the one Who gave His life, so we could have something far greater than this country, waiting for us eternally.

Glad to be Free,

Randy

The Walking Test

by Holly Schilling

This Sunday, Hannah, Vivian, and I are participating in the MS Walk at Kensington Park. Since this event is happening the same Sunday that Randy is starting a new series called How’s Your Gait, I couldn’t help but think of the MS Walking Test. This is a test I take every year at my appointment with the neurologist and is sometimes referred to as The Gait Test. Here is a bit about the reason for the test and how I see so many spiritual truths hidden in it!

“This test entails walking a certain distance with or without an assistive device. Your doctor will time how long it takes you to get from point A to point B.” As Christians, we are certainly trying to get from one point to another! From life in this physical, earthly world driven by our flesh to the spiritual kingdom of God that we will experience both here in our walk with God, as well as in Heaven with Him eternally.

“Since MS affects parts of your brain and spinal cord that control mobility, you may experience a slow, gradual decline in your ability to walk. A walking test, however, is designed to identify variances in your mobility early." As Christians, no one ever plans to walk away from God. I think the drifting from God is oftentimes “slow and gradual.” It is important to recognize “variances” in our faith early! Staying accountable to other Christians who can encourage you in your walk and help you get back on track when needed is so important.

“Maintaining independence is important for many people living with multiple sclerosis, which often involves the ability to walk and complete other activities with minimal assistance. A slower walking speed often indicates limited mobility, which could be a predictor for disability in the long term.” As Christians, this decline in our walk with God can be a predictor for long term loss of faith; thankfully, as long as we are living, there is always opportunity to repent and walk back to God. He never walks away from us!

“Your doctor will compare your speed with the speed that a person without a disability walks in the same span of time. Understanding your current abilities will help determine appropriate treatment.” As Christians, this part of the analogy is big! The only one “without disability we are compared to” is God and Romans 3:23 tells us we “all fall short of the glory of God.” As long as we understand our “current abilities” we can find the “treatment” for this predicament: Jesus and His death on the cross. Praise God for that!

“Your doctor will also compare your results with the results of prior tests, to see the changes over time. This can help them evaluate whether treatment is effective or needs to be adjusted.” As Christians, this comparison is good news. We are never compared to any other person on this earth. Spiritual growth will look different on everyone. We are compared to ourselves, but the only thing God expects is a reasonable amount of growth in a reasonable amount of time. His mercies are new every morning and His love compels us to become more like Him with the power of His grace.

So think about the MS Gait Test as we begin this new series. Be aware of your spiritual gait and be intentional about keeping it steady.

By this time next year, at a “spiritual gait check up”, will your walk with God have improved or declined?