“He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat”…we sang these words in church this morning in honor of the 4th. They are from The Battle Hymn of the Republic. I have been “sifting” thoughts lately and finally pulled out some thoughts to share.
As Americans, we can celebrate the many hard-won freedoms we have as a result of those who valiantly fought, and often died, in service. We can celebrate our freedoms, wave the flag, light some fireworks, and think of our soldiers in far-off places today. We can lay wreaths at the graves of those who paid the ultimate price, and cry a tear as we grieve their loss.
As Christians, we can also celebrate freedom today. We can choose to honor a God who has made this country strong. We can worship freely (for now) and live a life that reflects the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made – one man on one cross for all who live, died, and for those to come.
Sometimes the freedoms of country and Christ conflict. When they do, we have to decide which is more important. We scream about our freedom of speech – the right to say whatever we want, whether in public, in private, or in print. We will not be told to watch our language, to consider what our words might say to others, or to give thought before we speak. No – we speak to be heard. The freedom in Christ is the freedom to use words that honor and encourage; they are words that do not blaspheme; they are words that are carefully chosen to reflect who we are as part of the body of Christ. They are words that encourage others to ask about this God we serve.
The apostle Paul said he was free to do all things; but not all things were useful in his ministry. In Christ, there is nothing in creation that is inherently evil. However, there are certainly things that can be abused, misused, and twisted to cause others to stumble. We live in a country today that screams about the freedom to use chemicals and substances to enhance our performance, to make us feel better, to help us relax, or just to have fun. We say we aren’t hurting anyone, but is that true? Our children are watching and learning. Our friends and co-workers who have heard our Christian testimony also hear us talking about how hard we partied and see our images online that reflect our behavior as we take advantage of these freedoms. We profess our faith on Sundays and profane it with our freedoms the rest of the week.
Some contemporary writers who profess Christ omit important parts of the gospel in their works. They speak of a God who loves but rarely of one who judges. They cleverly weave their words to lull us into thinking we have permission to live to a lower calling rather than to strive to the highest. Our American freedoms should never be taken for granted. But one day, we will no longer subject to them. My freedom in Christ is eternal and I need to live today as if I really believe that.
I’ll close with the opening line – “He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat….Our God is marching on!”
Here’s a red, white and blue food tip today: Take some raspberries, blackberries (these are really dark blue in my book!) and sprinkle with sugar – place in freezer for 1 hour and then enjoy!!!
