The Life Team would like to wish all our American subscribers a very Happy 4th of July! 

You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. Deuteronomy 5:15 (ESV)

Freedom is celebrated globally, and each nation has a different experience as to how that freedom came about. Canada, for example, gained freedom via the Constitution Act on July 1, 1867, though ties to Britain remained for years thereafter. The lengthy process brought a peaceful transition.  With freedom came new identity, responsibility and rest.

In contrast, US independence involved protests against English rule leading to several years of intense bloodshed and sacrifice. The tumult was followed by national sovereignty and rest. Today marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress.

As I reflected on US and Canada’s celebrations, I pondered the similarities in our spiritual walk: just as nations gain a new identity when they come out from under the rule of another nation, we gain new identity as we begin our new life in Christ.

Spiritually, we each were born in bondage to sin. Yet we who believe have been set free through the sacrifice, death and resurrection of Jesus and may now find rest. Our journey may have been a quiet transfer of allegiance, or it may have involved “a bloody battle” of our will. We see the same pattern in the Bible too: Nathaniel came to acknowledge Jesus rather quietly while Saul of Tarsus and Zaccheus both experienced an abrupt and radical change!

We no longer live in bondage. We are the people of God, freed to walk in His ways. We look to the Father for direction, provision, protection and continued freedom. Now that is a reason to celebrate!

God, Thank You that in Christ we may be free and may find rest. Help me to walk in that freedom today, through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within me. Would You open a door so that I may share it with someone else this week? Amen.

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Thank God for freedom from sin’s bondage, and enjoy His rest today. How will you celebrate your freedom and new identity in Christ?  Is there a friend with whom you can share God’s freedom and rest today?

Are you living in exile, or are you living in freedom? Watch: The End of Our Exile



Tags: Freedom identity