From the Pastor's Desk (July 2026)
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because
through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law
of sin and death.~Romans 8:1–2
Throughout history, there has often been an interesting correlation between battle and freedom. I suppose it’s the reason many battles are fought – the quest for freedom from some oppressor. Much of the Civil War had its roots in the issue of slavery, and the hope was that it would one day be abolished and all of the slaves set free. The Revolutionary War was our quest for Independence from the rule of Great Britain. This month, our picnics and fireworks are to celebrate the objective achieved when the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776.
What is interesting, however, is that these things never end the way we might suspect. When the Civil War ended in 1865, the battle for the end of oppression continued for at least another century, through racism, discrimination, and the Civil Rights Movement. The situation was almost reversed in the Revolutionary War. Even though independence was declared in the middle of 1776, the conflict would continue for several more years, well into the 1780s. The end of battle and the desired outcome do not always share the same date.
The situation is no different in the Christian life. You have a very special date in your life as a believer. There was a process of searching for Christ, learning about Him, and at some point, there is a date in your personal history book that you declared your Independence. It was the day that you said yes to Jesus, asked Him to come into your heart as your Savior and remove your yucky past, and committed to following Him. It was your own, personal Independence Day when you declared your freedom from sin. It’s the freedom Paul speaks of in the above-mentioned Romans passage.
But there is a reason that Paul has had to dedicate another significant space in his writings describing a special battle armor in which the Christian must be suited – the armor we have been discussing in our services. The Armor of God implies that the battle rages on, even long after you have declared your independence from sin. It continues because Satan does not give up that easily. It continues because he still wants you to break your ties with Christ and follows his evil, despicable ways. It continues because Satan can’t stand the fact that he has already been defeated.
But the good news in all of this is, this battle belongs to the Lord. He has won, His victory is eternal, and as long as Christ is the one we depend on as our Savior, He has sealed our independence – even when we trip up in life. The forgiving power of Christ is one of the benefits of His independence. Just keep your armor on, enjoy the salvation you have been given through Jesus, and spend some time this month studying and appreciating the truest freedom that salvation gives – an eternal freedom in the Kingdom of God for all who call His Son Savior, and who have a date in their history book when they truly declared independence.
Happy Independence Day – yes, as a nation; but especially as a child of God. ~Pastor Eric
through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law
of sin and death.~Romans 8:1–2
Throughout history, there has often been an interesting correlation between battle and freedom. I suppose it’s the reason many battles are fought – the quest for freedom from some oppressor. Much of the Civil War had its roots in the issue of slavery, and the hope was that it would one day be abolished and all of the slaves set free. The Revolutionary War was our quest for Independence from the rule of Great Britain. This month, our picnics and fireworks are to celebrate the objective achieved when the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776.
What is interesting, however, is that these things never end the way we might suspect. When the Civil War ended in 1865, the battle for the end of oppression continued for at least another century, through racism, discrimination, and the Civil Rights Movement. The situation was almost reversed in the Revolutionary War. Even though independence was declared in the middle of 1776, the conflict would continue for several more years, well into the 1780s. The end of battle and the desired outcome do not always share the same date.
The situation is no different in the Christian life. You have a very special date in your life as a believer. There was a process of searching for Christ, learning about Him, and at some point, there is a date in your personal history book that you declared your Independence. It was the day that you said yes to Jesus, asked Him to come into your heart as your Savior and remove your yucky past, and committed to following Him. It was your own, personal Independence Day when you declared your freedom from sin. It’s the freedom Paul speaks of in the above-mentioned Romans passage.
But there is a reason that Paul has had to dedicate another significant space in his writings describing a special battle armor in which the Christian must be suited – the armor we have been discussing in our services. The Armor of God implies that the battle rages on, even long after you have declared your independence from sin. It continues because Satan does not give up that easily. It continues because he still wants you to break your ties with Christ and follows his evil, despicable ways. It continues because Satan can’t stand the fact that he has already been defeated.
But the good news in all of this is, this battle belongs to the Lord. He has won, His victory is eternal, and as long as Christ is the one we depend on as our Savior, He has sealed our independence – even when we trip up in life. The forgiving power of Christ is one of the benefits of His independence. Just keep your armor on, enjoy the salvation you have been given through Jesus, and spend some time this month studying and appreciating the truest freedom that salvation gives – an eternal freedom in the Kingdom of God for all who call His Son Savior, and who have a date in their history book when they truly declared independence.
Happy Independence Day – yes, as a nation; but especially as a child of God. ~Pastor Eric
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