Freedom!

In 1995, Mel Gibson produced, directed and starred in the Academy Award-winning epic “Braveheart.” In the movie, Gibson portrays a Scottish folk hero from the 13th century named William Wallace, known to his fellow countrymen as “Braveheart.”

After suffering terrible personal tragedy at the hands of English soldiers, Wallace rallies the Scots against the tyrannical English monarch, King Edward I. Ready to give his life for Scotland’s freedom, Wallace assembles a band of ragtag warriors whose faith in freedom is stronger than the mighty English army.

In the end, Braveheart is betrayed by a friend, captured by the English and tortured. He is told that if he declares submission to the King of England, he will be shown mercy. Wallace defiantly refuses and with his dying breath cries out, “Freedom!”

On the Fourth of July, we as Americans celebrate the freedom we enjoy as citizens of this great land. We treasure our freedoms as Americans. We zealously protect them. We voraciously oppose those who would threaten them.

The sad truth is, however, that though we take great pride in our freedoms as Americans, we are all born into this world slaves – slaves to our pride, slaves to death, slaves to the devil and the sinful desires of our hearts. We are bound by the curse of the law. We are destined for the prison of hell.

But all that changed on a dark Friday 2,000 years ago. Good Friday is our Independence Day as Christians. With his death on the cross, Jesus offered the ultimate sacrifice and paid the price of our freedom. When he cried out, “It is finished,” our debt of sin was forever paid.

With his great emancipation proclamation, Jesus set us free from the punishment of sin. Death and the devil no longer have power over us. We are free to enter the Promised Land of heaven.

The danger for us as Christians is to take that freedom for granted – to use that forgiveness as an excuse to keep on sinning. The Apostle Paul once wrote, “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” (Galatians 5:1). In other words, you’ve been set free from sin and its consequences. Why would you want to go back to slavery?

Jesus won for you the freedom of forgiveness. Cherish that freedom. Fight against the devil and the sinful side of your heart which want to enslave you again. Hold on to that freedom until your dying breath. Never let it go.

Pastor Andrew Schroer has been a pastor for over 20 years and is currently serving at Redeemer Lutheran Church with campuses in Edna and Victoria, Texas. Read more of his devotional writing and contact him at 364DaysofThanksgiving.com.