Sounds like an oxymoron, right! But not so. On this day that we celebrate Independence Day, it prompted me to think about our spiritual life and what’s been done for us but the Lord Jesus Christ.

240 years ago today the Declaration of Independence was signed. We became The United States of America on that day. We came out from under what was perceived to be unfair oppression from Great Britain. The Revolutionary War, which would recored more than 10,000 casualties, ensued and would continue for several more years. But the 13 colonies would prevail and bought for us freedom….and the reality of a sovereign nation. The Biblical principles that this nation was founded on is one of the key reasons that the United States of America is still the greatest nation on the planet.

Liberty is an important word as it relates to a nation….and it’s an important word as it relates to our spiritual state, as well. There are some amazing similarities  between the liberty we enjoy as American citizens….and the liberty we enjoy as born-again believers. The 13 colonies were under unfair oppression from Great Britain. Mankind was under the oppression of our sin nature. In the revolutionary war bloodshed was required to win our freedom. Those soldiers were willing to lay down their life for the possibility of true freedom. But the purchase of our ‘spiritual freedom’ was vastly different; there was only One Who was wiling to lay down His life for our freedom. And, that sacrifice was the only thing that would be able to buy our freedom. It would be available for anyone in every generation….and the only requirement is that we’d just believe!

Freedom might be more valuable than we can consciously understand. Since we’ve never experienced it otherwise in America we can’t imagine what it’d be like to not live in a free nation. Immigrants to America might have a better perspective on that than we do. Our spiritual freedom is, likewise, extremely valuable if you consider the alternative. It’d probably do us some good if we did that from time to time.

But freedom can be a tricky thing if we’re not careful. If a nation strays away from the Godly, and Biblical principles she was founded on, lawlessness and chaos is likely to ensue. It’s also true of our spiritual condition. We were ‘given’ our absolute freedom….from sin, and from the Law. But to continue on without the guidance of those same principles and the help of the Holy Spirit……Well, you can just imagine the outcome.

The wise person will develop a keen understanding of their spiritual freedom….and even though we’ve been given total independence…..we’ll take that independence and willingly become ‘dependent’ on Him! That’s what I call ‘Dependently Independent’!

So, on this day, I choose to be mindful of, and extremely grateful for, the freedom that we have as Americans…and I also choose to be mindful, and grateful, for the freedom I’ve been given in Christ Jesus!

Another one you might enjoy:

I’m All For Celebrating ‘Independence Day’, But I Think We Need A ‘Dependence Day’ Too!

“Freedom’s Just Another Word” …… But It’s a Whole Lot More Than That!