“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”—2 Corinthians 3:17
Not only is Saturday the 4th of July, but it is the 250th anniversary of our independence for the U.S.A. For Christians, this means we have been able to enjoy religious liberty for 2 ½ centuries. That is a pretty big deal considering other countries around the world don’t have these same religious freedoms.
I try to thank God every day that I can praise and worship Him outside the walls of my home. Not only that, I am also able to write this blog post and have a YouTube channel sharing my love of Jesus through a knitting ministry. In some countries, I could be arrested for talking about my faith, censored, or shunned by professing Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us our ultimate source of freedom is in Christ. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].”(AMP) Paul was writing to the church in Corinth contrasting the laws of the old covenant and the new covenant they now had through Christ; one of love, grace and transformation, which leads to true freedom.
Once Jesus died on the cross for us, we were no longer bound to the covenant of the Old Testament with all the laws and rules. Now, we write God’s law on our hearts. His death set us free from sin’s guilt. When we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives, it changes us. His Word lives inside of us allowing us to live by freely obeying Him because of our love for Him, not out of obligation.
So this Saturday when those of us in America our celebrating 250th year of independence, let us also be reminded of the inner freedom the Spirit brings us. Where the Spirit of the Lord is (our homes, hearts, churches and land in which we live), we will have true and lasting freedom.
Father God,
Thank You for granting our nation 250 years of liberty as well as the freedom to openly worship You. Continue to preserve our country’s hard-won liberties, I lift up missionaries around the world who don’t have this same privilege. Protect them as they continue to share the Gospel in areas where Christians are being persecuted. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus so we are no longer bound to adhere to the laws of the old covenant. We now have a direct relationship with You. I pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
July Verse
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”—2 Corinthians 3:17
If you are knitting or crocheting gifts to give away, please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit, Pray, Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtag #KnitPrayShare. Be sure to attach a tag to whatever gift you make.