If you are an American like I am the question are you free sounds quite absurd. The natural response is of course I am free. I’m an American. Americans have been free since the revolutionary war. We decide who our president is. We have the freedom to go as far as we would like in our education. We can have the job we want and as much money as we want as long as we work hard enough. This is the freedom of being American.
When Jesus was on earth there was a group much like Americans in this respect. They believed they were free because they were the descendants of Abraham. They thought that they had never been slaves of anyone. They were puzzled when Jesus told them that they would be set free because they thought they already were.
Jesus responded to them and let them know they had it all wrong. Everyone whether they are descendants of Abraham, Americans, or another group of people who sins are slaves to sin. Freedom in the kingdom of God is not about what nationality you are, or how much opportunity you have. Jesus could scoffed at and scolded people who tried to define their freedom in such a way.
The only way to be free in God’s kingdom is by having Jesus set you free. Jesus sets us free by revealing the truth. When we choose to follow the truth he has revealed to us then we are truly set free.
Today is a great day to celebrate the freedom of America but it is important not to think that our earthly freedom is eternal or that it because we have an earthly freedom that we by default have spiritual freedom.
It is important today to ask the question: Am I free?
By: Danielle O’Neil
Story of Jesus taken from John 8: 31-38