I was just thinking about the national holiday we celebrated last Friday — Independence Day, or as most people refer to it, the Fourth of July. The day was filled with celebrations — BBQ, burgers, steaks and ice cream. We can also add parades and fireworks. All that as a reminder that we have been a free nation for the past 249 years. Yet, among the times of celebration, we still tend to forget that, as so many have stated, “Freedom isn’t free.”
I have a penchant for incorporating song lyrics into my writing. I am reminded of a song that truly reveals a tremendous truth. Some of those lyrics are: “In New York Harbor, stands a lady, with a torch raised to the sky. And all who see her, know she stands for Liberty for you and me.”
Many times, I rode the Staten Island Ferry past Liberty Island. I stood in awe as we passed the magnificent Statue of Liberty. As a young soldier, married for only a few months, I felt a deep sense of pride in being an American. Since I was a Cub Scout, I was taught that pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America was a privilege. Each morning in assembly at Ashdown High School, the student body stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by prayer. To this day, I am proud to be an American. I am also someone who acknowledges that freedom is not free.
The Cost of Liberty from Tyrannical Rule
When the Pilgrims settled on this continent, Great Britain was upset with the exodus from there to here. However, when those settlements led to the establishment of 13 colonies, the anger escalated. There was an attack on the freedom that the colonists desired so dearly. On April 19, 1775, the first shots were fired. Armed conflict marked the beginning of the American quest for liberty. Despite the war continuing to rage, the Continental Congress declared Independence from Great Britain. The war did not officially come to an end until 1783.
What did it cost to gain our liberty? Was it obtained through barter? Were monetary contributions to the “Mother Country” sent? No. The real cost of our liberty was the shed blood of early Americans. They died so that to this day we might live in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Again, freedom is not free! Sadly, not every American appreciates that the freedom they have comes at a tremendous cost.
The Cross is the Believer’s Statue of Liberty
Here are some more lyrics to that song by Bill and Gloria Gaither: “On lonely Golgotha, stood a cross, with my Lord lifted to the sky: All who kneel there live forever as ‘all the saved can testify. As the statue liberates the citizen, so the cross liberates the soul.”
Every human born was under the tyrannical rule of the devil. He has despised the Lord God since he fell from Heaven. When he saw Jesus on that cross over 2,000 years ago, he knew the war was going to escalate. When Jesus came to Earth, He had a task from His heavenly Father to die for all who would believe in Jesus as Savior, as the ultimate warrior against sin’s great tyranny. Jesus shed His blood for you and me, as well as every other person alive on planet Earth.
Christian, the war is not over. One day soon, Jesus will put Satan away, and perfect peace will be ours — because Jesus went to the cross for us. Freedom is not free!
