Setting Sail on a Quest(ion) about Heaven and Hell – “Free At Last!” (Part VI)

Sermon Title: Setting Sail on a Quest(ion) – “Free at Last!”

Good News Statement: Jesus sets us free through the cross

Preached: Sunday, July 6^th, 2025 at Dogwood Prairie and Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSVUE): Galatians 5:13 Heaven and Hell: two words that have captured the curiosity, imagination, and wonder of millions of people across several centuries. One of those words brings forth comfort and peace, an image of green pastures and still waters, and hope and eternal salvation. The other word subjugates fear, darkness, and a feeling of being at the lowest point. Today, we are given a choice. May the hearing and understanding of this scripture add a blessing to your life.

 

The Nature of Christian Freedom

² Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that, if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³ Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. ⁴ You who want to be reckoned as righteous by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love.

⁷ You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth? ⁸ Such persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹ A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. ¹⁰ I am confident about you in the Lord that you will not think otherwise. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. ¹¹ But my brothers and sisters, why am I still being persecuted if I am still preaching circumcision? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹² I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another.

¹⁴ For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

 

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

 

The following Sermon Series will be drawn from the words of Biblical Scholar, Alan W. Gomes, who explores 40 Questions about Heaven and Hell in his book 40 Questions about Heaven and Hell.

Alan W. Gomes (edited by Benjamin L. Merkle), 40 Questions About Heaven and Hell, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 2018.

 

Introduction:

In the ethereal[1] expanse of the cosmos, there exists a realm beyond mortal comprehension: it’s known as heaven. It is not a place dictated by religious dogma or mythical tales but rather a destination for all souls after their mortal journey concludes. In this celestial sanctuary, souls find themselves liberated from the constraints of physical existence: those who were tired, weak, and carrying heavy burdens have found rest (Matthew 11:28). They are met with an abundance of peace, harmony, and boundless opportunities for growth and fulfillment. Yet, amidst this infinite splendor, a conflict simmers—one not of divine decree, but of existential choice. Among the myriad of souls that populate Heaven, there exists a divergence in belief regarding its nature. Some perceive Heaven as a utopia, a paradise where individual desires reign supreme, and personal satisfaction is paramount. Others hold a different perspective. They believe that Heaven’s true essence lies in collective goodwill, in the shared bonds of love, empathy, and compassion. Is that really what Heaven is like?

For some, the opposite of this heavenly celestial sanctuary is Hell: the abode of the “unredeemed dead.”[2] In its archaic sense, the term Hell refers to the underworld, a deep pit or distant land of shadows where the dead are gathered. From the underworld its most terrible precincts sinners pay—some say eternally—the penalty for their crimes. The underworld is often imagined as a place of punishment rather than merely of darkness and decomposition because of the widespread belief that a moral universe requires judgment and retribution—crime must pay. More broadly, Hell figures in religious cosmologies as the opposite of heaven, “the nadir[3] of the cosmos,”[4] and the land where God is not. Hell itself is the preeminent symbol of evil, alienation, and despair. Is that really what Hell is like?

Heaven and Hell: two words that have captured the curiosity, imagination, and wonder of millions of people across several centuries. One of those words brings forth comfort and peace, an image of green pastures and still waters, hope and renewal, grace and eternal salvation, empathy and compassion. The other word subjugates fear, worry, devastation, darkness, despair, and a feeling of being at the lowest point—walking in the shadows of the valley of death. These two words have caught the attention of both religious and non-religious persons throughout the ages: asking what is heaven like and what is hell like? Even those who have chosen to believe in the words of Jesus Christ wonder about heaven and hell: asking what do I need to do to be in heaven and what do I need to do to avoid hell?

For the next few weeks, with the help of Alan W. Gomes, a professor of theology at Talbot School of Theology, we will be taking time to examine both Heaven and Hell from a biblical perspective. In his book, 40 Questions about Heaven and Hell, Gomes asks questions such as: “What should we conclude about those who claim to have seen heaven or hell?, What will the resurrected body be like?, What is hell like?, What is heaven like?, and How can a God of love send people to an eternal hell?” Most of us are familiar with the concepts of Heaven and Hell, but yet we still have questions. The time has come to examine a few of those questions as we explore the celestial sanctuary and dive into the abode of the unredeemed.

 

Body:

Two days ago, on the 4th of July we celebrated our nation’s 249^th Birthday. It was 249 years ago that the United States, originally composed of thirteen colonies, was born. A nation based on the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness formed into a nation of responsibility and freedom and hope. Within the genesis of our nation, the people, specifically the founding fathers, believed that what they were pursuing—self-evident truths of equality and unalienable rights—were the product endowed by their Creator—God. Hence, our nation’s motto, “In God We Trust.” Almost 250 years ago, at the birth of this very nation, the freedom we long to experience flowed from the quills of liberty and God’s presence and truth as words formed the Declaration of Independence.

The celebration of our nation’s birthday is really a celebration of freedom.[5] Two days ago, we celebrated our freedom as a nation from the bonds of what used to be to the broken chains of what can be. Two days ago, we celebrated, with friends, family, and loved ones, as colorful fireworks lit the night sky, as the smell of charcoal simmered in the still air, as sparklers put a glow on each face, the freedoms we have today in the land of the free and in the home of the brave. Two days ago, as we celebrated life and liberty, we thought about those who gave their all for the red, white, and blue. Two days ago, we celebrated, but today we remember the true freedom that has set us free and the person who made it possible for all of us to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. Today, we remember the freedom that was last seen not in Yorktown but in Jerusalem.

Jesus, in Jerusalem on Mount Calvary, through his selfless-sacrifice, gave us a freedom that can never be taken away, a freedom that sets us free, a freedom that breaks every chain, and a freedom that makes us complete. It’s the freedom from Jesus Christ that truly sets us free! But what is this freedom? And are we looking toward this freedom?

 

Movement One: What does the Bible say about our “Freedom.”

Let’s begin our time be looking at what the Bible says about freedom. But first, where does the word freedom originate from? The word “freedom” originates from the Old English “freodom,” which combines “free”—meaning not under control, emancipation, deliverance—and the suffix “dom”—meaning a state or condition. Therefore, to experience “freedom” one is experiencing a condition that allows them to not be bound by some sort of control. In Greek, “freedom” pronounced eleutheria (el-you-thair-rah) carries the same weight: it means liberty and not enslaved. It is from the Greek understanding of “freedom” upon which we can better understand what some of the authors were trying to convey when discussing freedom in their own gospel or letters. So, what does the Bible say about “freedom”?

Second Corinthians 3:17 notes, “Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” What the Apostle Paul is noting in his letter to the people of Corinth is noteworthy: he is saying, if the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of the Lord, the Lord’s empowerment and encouragement and motivation—lives in you, you are free! How incredible is it to know that no matter where you are in life, you are free because you have the Holy Spirit—the presence of Christ—living inside of you. Just let that sink in: wherever you are—at home, in the car, at the store, at a park, at a restaurant, in a drive-thru, in the field, in a barn, at work, at church—you can be set free. Wherever you are, if Jesus lives inside of you, you can be set free. Let’s take this a little deeper and say that wherever you are mentally and emotionally, you can be set free. Whether you are doing great, in a valley, nothing could go wrong, nothing is going right, hope is thriving, hope is failing, you know what tomorrow will bring, you are worried about tomorrow, you have the chance to be set free. You are free because you are not alone. Before we figure out what we are free from, I want you to know that because Jesus lives within you, you have the chance to be set free, to break those chains, to fly on the wings of eagles.

Next, we hear these words from Paul’s letter to the people of Ephesus: “In Him and through faith in Him, we may approach God with freedom and in confidence” (Ephesians 3:12). Not only do we have freedom in our spirit and in our life that dwells within us, but we also have freedom through faith in Jesus Christ to approach God. As scripture tells us, and as Jesus boldly proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Because of our freedom—our faith in Jesus Christ—we can approach God. But what does this mean? What is Paul trying to tell us? When we decide to approach God, either through prayer or means of forgiveness, we are essentially seeking to have a relationship with Him. And because of this relationship, we have confidence that we have the freedom to meet God where He is and the freedom knowing that God can meet us where we are. Whatever our condition, whatever our pain, hurt, sorrow, or joy, whatever doubts and questions we may have, no matter how tired or stressed we may feel, we have been given the freedom, the liberty, to approach God. As we approach God, we begin to realize what it is that we are being set free from.

We are being set free from our sins. Paul wrote to the people of Rome, “For one who has died, has been set free from sin” (Romans 6:7). Our willingness to approach God reminds us that we can be set free from the sins and burdens of this present life. We are free to give everything to God. We are free to seek forgiveness. We are free to leave everything at the foot of the cross. How do we know that we can be set free from our sins, because it is the truth. John tells us, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Pontius Pilate asks Jesus, “What is this truth?” in John 18:38. This truth is Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, the commands to love the Lord, to love the neighbor, and to do unto others the way you want done to you. Freedom is truth, and this truth—the way of Jesus Christ—will set you free from your sins. King David expressed the same sentiment when he penned his thoughts in Psalm 118:5, “Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.” Approaching God reveals God’s truth: His love, His grace, His salvation, His redemption, His forgiveness, His blessed assurance, and His inspiring word.       We are free to approach God, to have His truth revealed to us, so that we no longer become chained by our own sins but instead are set free from whatever holds us in bondage. To be set free is to approach God seeking a relationship with Him that washes away your sins.

As you begin to experience this freedom found in the truth of God, not only are your sins forgiven, but that which is held you captive is no more. In the fifth chapter of Paul’s writing to the Galatians, we read these words, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yolk of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). Paul is basically telling us that we get to choose to walk away from the burden of slavery that was caused by our sins. Granted we can’t just walk away from our sins, we need to ask for forgiveness, but maybe our walking is an act of forgiveness. We also need to keep in mind, that although human slavery was part of life during the time of Paul, Paul is not talking about human slavery in this verse. Rather, he is using the idea of slavery as a metaphor to describe how we have been captured by sin to the point where sin is our master, controlling our desires, controlling our life. In way, Paul uses the concept of slavery to illustrate the bondage of humanity to sin before encountering Christ, before realizing that we can approach God.

Returning to the idea of having a choice, Paul is inviting us to think about being a slave to sin or being a slave to God. We have a choice to completely live in God’s joy, peace, freedom, His favor, and in all His blessings or to remain carrying the burdens of this life that result from the yoke of slavery. Sin is too heavy of a burden to bear when we have the option to be set free in Christ! And when we do choose to let Christ set us free from the slavery of sin, we must make an effort to stand firm in the hope and love and grace and salvation of his freedom. Sin will always be around which is why staying free requires making an effort. We must do what we can, as often as we can, in as many places as we can, to stand firm upon his promises and truth that set us free.

After telling the people to be set free from the slavery of sin, Paul makes an interesting move. He states in Romans 6:22, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness and the result is eternal life.” After we have been set free from our sin—our bondage to evil—we are called to allow ourselves to become slaves to God, or as some translations would note, “servants of God”? So, we become free in order to become a servant? That’s strange to think about since freedom means to not be under control. However, it makes sense. The only way to truly be set free is to give your complete self to God, to surrender all to Him. If we do so, then we will be set free from our sins: free from what keeps us from God—so that we can be made one with God, so that we can fully abide in Jesus as Jesus abides in us, so that we can have a relationship with the one who never leaves our side. When we are set free, we are able to become servants of God: doing what He needs us to do to live a righteous and worthy life that leads to holiness.

I know that this is strange to think about—that we need to be set free to merely become servants—but that is what God is asking of us. You can think of it this way: sometimes we have to let go of—be set free from—one aspect of life so that we can focus on a new chapter. Or as I was reminded this week, we need to wear the right gloves for the job: we can’t be full servants of God while wearing gloves that are stained with filthy, dirty sins. WE have to wear gloves that are clean. When we are set free, our work truly begins! This leads us to one more scripture passage. This passage comes from the Old Testament.

The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18). A couple of things about this text. First, Jesus specifically quotes this verse in the Gospel of Luke when he gave his recorded message in the temple very early on in his earthly ministry. He was inviting the people to make room in their life to do what God needed them to do. The people needed to be set free so that they could begin living a godly life. Second, notice how the word “freedom” is mentioned in this text. As a matter of fact, the act of being set free is very much present here. As we become free, we are given the tools to share the good news, we are able to comfort those during a time of need, help those who may be captive by their own sins, and find within ourselves the will and faith to let the light of Christ shine for those in the darkness. Our freedom in Christ is what allows us to truly be his hands and feet on this earth.

As I mentioned before, it takes work on our part to be set free and then it takes work to live out that freedom in our life. We are equipped to proclaim the good news to everyone that needs it! This freedom is available, all we have to do is show up, be the light of the world, show other people what it looks like to live a Spirit-led life, and trust in God’s plan.

So what are these specific verses suggesting? First, because Jesus abides within you, his freedom is present in your life. Second, because of the freedom that lives within us, we are given the opportunity to approach God and to have a relationship with Him. Third, when we read in scripture that we are being set free, it means that we are being set free from our sins—from the very burdens and doubts and stresses and worries of our life that push us away from Jesus: our freedom from these things indicates that we have the ability to become imitators of Christ. Fourth, once we allow ourselves to be set free from the slavery of sin, we are granted the task of becoming servants of, for, and with God: our freedom draws us closer to God so that we can become the hands and feet of Jesus on this earth. And fifth, staying free requires an effort on our part and freedom gives us the tools needed to help others experience the same freedom we are given through Jesus Christ: salvation, unmerited grace, unconditional love, and forgiveness. Freedom is more than a condition of experiencing liberty: it is a means of living faithfully and completely in Christ, knowing that we have work to do.

Are you willing to be set free for Christ? In the process of being set free, we must remember one thing: this gift of freedom is not to be misused.

 

Movement Two: Don’t Abuse What has been Given to You

Now, let’s turn to a powerful reminder that Paul teaches us in the fifth chapter of his letter to the Galatians. But first, let’s start from a 30,000 foot view so that we are able to gain a deeper meaning to the responsibility we have knowing that we are set free in Christ.

Galatians Chapter Five can be summarized in this way: Those who trust in Christ have been set free. Paul’s readers were in danger of wasting that freedom, by veering off in one of two directions. On the one hand, false teachers were pressuring them into circumcision in order to be sure of being right with God. On the other hand, freedom can also be squandered on serving only our sinful desires instead of investing it through serving others in love. Paul stated in Galatians 5:4-6, “You who want to be reckoned as righteous by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love.”

God’s Spirit gives us the power to do that when we let Him lead us. Life in the Spirit bears powerful and positive fruit in a Christian’s life. However, Paul understands, much like we understand today, that when it comes to freedom in Christ, people will do their best to lead others away from that freedom toward a false freedom that is fulfilled with self-centeredness, narcissism, and egoism. Paul knows that people will think that there is something better than having freedom in Christ, that there is a freedom that gets them everything they want and desire but nothing to which they need. Those who trust in Christ—“with all [their] heart and do not rely on [their] own insight” (Proverbs 3:5)—have truly been set free: they will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Taking a closer look. Galatians 5:1-15, which includes our scripture passage for today, focuses on what those in Christ should do with their freedom in Christ. First, we must guard it, especially from those who would pressure us to follow the law. Paul was confident the Galatians would resist the one leading them in the wrong direction. Paul also warns us not to waste our freedom in Christ to selfishly serve ourselves instead of serving each other in love. The entire law is fulfilled in that one word: love. Those who serve themselves, though, will always end up in conflict with each other. Our freedom is not just in how we love God but it is seen in how we love one another.

Our freedom is not just in how we love God but it is seen in how we love one another. Our freedom is seen in how we treat one another, how we respect one another, how we work with one another, how we listen to one another, how we help one another, and  how we support one another. For Paul, the only thing that counts toward our freedom is “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6).

From freedom being trust in God to freedom being seen in how we love one another, we zoom in one more time as we look closer at our scripture verse for today. Galatians 5:13 acclaims, “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another.” Paul has spent most of this letter to the Galatians calling them to live in the freedom that comes with faith in Christ. With his own blood, Christ has purchased for those who trust him a freedom from slavery to our sinfulness under the law. We are forgiven. We don’t need to toil under the harsh burdens of the law (Galatians 3:23–29). In his letter to the Romans, expanding on these same ideas, Paul put it this way: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

This raises a new question, though, one that Paul’s enemies surely asked: If there is no threat of condemnation for sinning, what is to keep people from sinning more and more? Without a consequence, won’t people just indulge in every kind of evil practice? Now Paul confronts that idea, too. He warns the Galatians not to use their freedom in Christ as an opportunity to selfishly serve the flesh by only doing what feels good. Instead, they should selflessly serve each other in love. Did you catch what Paul told the people of Galatia? He said that they should not use their freedom in Christ, their separation from sin, to selfishly serve themselves, to do what makes them feel good. Rather, they should use their freedom to serve others in love.

Again, whether or not we live in Christ is all about where we place our focus. Living under the law, by definition, is about trying to justify ourselves before God, by my own effort, through my own works. We focus on ourselves, and are really seeking our own glory as a result. Salvation by faith in Christ is about what He did, through His works. It’s not what we did, through our own works. It’s about living a life serving God. In a similar way, living in the freedom Christ purchased should not be about focusing on ourselves. It is about seeing God’s love for us and striving to serve each other with that same love. Believe it or not, we are called to experience freedom with and through Christ, on his terms. We are invited to live in his freedom, not our self-proclaimed freedom. Peter wrote, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16). Freedom means to devote oneself to the cause of God, to be a servant for and of God’s love, and not to misuse freedom to fulfill our own desires.

 We must not use this freedom for the benefit of our own personal gain. We shouldn’t use this freedom to get what we want. We shouldn’t use this freedom to force our way into heaven (Luke 16:16-17). We shouldn’t use this freedom to prove to others that we are better than others. We shouldn’t use this freedom to control the beliefs of others. We shouldn’t use this freedom as a means to suggest that we are no longer acceptable of sin. Jesus told the Pharisees, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts…” (Luke 16:15). This freedom is not to be used to cover up what truly matters to God: your heart. We should not abuse the freedom we have in Christ, but we should cherish and hold true to this freedom because it is this freedom that sets us free to better be able to do what God needs us to do.

I’m afraid sometimes, we take the freedoms we have for granted. We think they will always be there. But what happens if one day they are taken from us? We lose our freedom to practice our religion, our belief in God. Would we still find a way to gather and worship? We lose our freedom of speech, our ability to express our opinions and ideas. Would we be afraid to share what is on our mind? We lose our freedom of press, our capability to publish information and opinions. Would our social media accounts still be active? We lose our freedom to assemble, the chance to gather peacefully. Would we be forced into quarantine? We lose our freedom to petition the government, our free-will to bring concerns and grievances to the government. How would our life look if we weren’t able to create laws which better the lives of those near and far? We lose our freedom to dream, explore, discover, and make mistakes. We lose our freedom to have faith. The freedom we have gained through Christ, along with our earthly freedoms, should not be taken for granted. Rather they should be respected as a means of grace that save and better our lives—that save a wretch like me, which makes our chains gone—so that we can continue to be who God needs us to be and do what Jesus needs us to do.

In order to remind us of this, I invite you to hear these words from Billy Graham, who taught us to look toward Calvary for freedom in a devotion written for the Fourth of July.

 

Movement Three: Looking Toward “Freedom”

Billy Graham wrote a devotional where he compared the cross to the Statue of Liberty, titling it “In His Own Words: Our Statue of Liberty.” This devotion was published by the Billy Graham Library on July 4, 2017. The devotion states that “His statue of liberty is in the form of the cross,” lighting the way to eternal life.[6] I share this devotional with you now:

During the national observance of the one hundredth anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, I was struck by the great emphasis on the number of immigrants who had often left everything behind, coming to America with nothing but the clothes on their backs, risking their very lives for something they valued more highly than everything they had left behind: freedom.

This is a picture of what we must do when we come to Christ. We must forsake allegiance to the things of this world and all that this world has to offer and become immigrants on the kingdom of God. His statue of liberty is in the form of the cross.

The statue in New York Harbor lifts her lamp “beside the golden door.”

The statue of liberty on Golgotha hill lights the way into the eternal life. That light is ours if we only come to God through the One who said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).[7]

From 1892-1954, Ellis Island in New York Harbor, where the Statue of Liberty hovers above the water holding her torch of light and a tablet inscribed with the date of when the Declaration of Independence was signed,  served as a gateway for over 12 million immigrants. When those immigrants saw the Statue of Liberty, they witnessed something that stood with pride, that represented hope, and that was a source of enlightenment and new beginnings. The Statue of Liberty, gifted to the United States from France and dedicated in 1886, is a powerful symbol of the “American Dream.” I can’t even fathom what those felt when they saw the Statue of Liberty for the first time, realizing that they left everything to be here, to be free.

I came across a story written by Tanya Arden, who was eight years old when she came to the United States in the early twentieth century with her mother. Tanya recorded, “As the ship entered the harbor, the passengers were on deck, cheering and crying.  Tanya’s mother pointed to Lady Liberty and said, through her own tears, ‘Do you see that statue, children?  Do you know what it means?  It means freedom.  Freedom!  Never again will you have to be afraid of who you are or of what you are.  Not in this country!  That’s what that statue means.’”[8]

Those who immigrated to the United States sought a freedom that would change their life. A freedom deeper than any political freedom every recorded or thought of. A freedom that was more valuable than all their possessions. A freedom more worthy than their current ruler could promise. A freedom that instilled hope in their eyes. A freedom that issued great shouts of cheer. A freedom that gifted them a new life, dreams come true.

Church, friends, that’s the freedom we have in Christ. That’s the freedom we should see and feel when we look upon our “statue of liberty”—the cross of Jesus Christ. That’s the freedom that changes our life. That’s the freedom that leaves everything behind so that we can focus on what is before us. That’s the freedom that truly sets us free. When we look upon the cross standing proud, stained with blood, built from two old, worn down, pieces of tree, marked with nail holes, on Calvary, we should see something that reminds us that we have been set free. The immigrants passing through Ellis Island saw freedom in a statue. We see freedom through the cross as we take a closer walk with thee.

Even before there was a Statue of Liberty, there was the cross of Jesus Christ. Even before there was political freedom, there was spiritual freedom. Even before there were “American Dreams,” there was the promise of hope and eternal life. We have been given an eternal freedom that continually sets us free from the world behind us so that we can focus on the cross before us.

Through Billy Graham’s devotional we learn a powerful lesson: the cross is the ultimate symbol of liberty, offering forgiveness and new life to those who believe.

 

Conclusion:

To bring this message to a close, I want to remind you: Before Jesus died on the cross, God’s people lived under many different ruling systems. Even today, whether it be financially, or the situation we live in, we may not feel completely free. However, the most incredible news is that we are completely free from the law of sin and death because Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to pay our debts. Over the course of 249 years, many brave and dedicated people paid the ultimate sacrifice for our earthly freedom so that we could live in the land of the free and the home of the brave where dreams are made possible. And we are forever indebted to their sacrifice. But Jesus, is the one who continually puts himself on the cross so that we can be set free from our sins, shame, and guilt as we become made complete through faith, grace, and salvation through every day of our life.

Nevertheless, we continue to live in the aftermath of this year’s Fourth of July, may we not get caught up in the splendor of our nation’s symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty. Instead, may we look upward to the cross, thanking God for the gift of freedom from the sins that weigh us down. May we not get so caught up in the earthly freedoms to the point where we forget about our heavenly freedoms. May we not use our freedom to simply make ourselves better, but rather to use our freedom to help others become better. May we not become victims of sin slavery but become victorious by becoming a servant of and for Christ. And may we cherish the freedom of Christ that lives in our heart. In the words of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last!”[9] You are free today and every day.

Let it be so…

 

Closing Prayer:

Let us Pray… Dear God, we are free at last! May we do what we can, each and every day, as you live within our heart, to experience the freedoms of your works and message as we leave our sins behind us and focus on the salvation before us. In your name we pray, Amen.

 

Benediction:

Our freedom is not just in how we love God but it is seen in how we love one another. Our freedom is not just in how we see the cross but it is seen on the face of the one on the cross. Our freedom in Christ is what sets us free to live the life God needs us to live. Are you ready to be set free at last? May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth choosing to live a life of freedom in Christ. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

 

[1] Ethereal: extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.

[2] Carol Zaleski, “Hell,” Britannica Online, updated 16 May 2025 and accessed 28 May 2025: https://www.britannica.com/topic/hell/Greece-and-Rome

[3] Nadir: the lowest point in the fortunes of a person or organization

[4] Carol Zaleski, “Hell,” Britannica Online, updated 16 May 2025 and accessed 28 May 2025: https://www.britannica.com/topic/hell/Greece-and-Rome

[5] We celebrate the precious gift of freedom we have because of the price others paid. You see, we must remember that freedom isn’t free. Freedom is very expensive. It has cost some people everything, including their lives. Freedom isn’t free, but it is infinitely valuable. The ideal of freedom is an ideal that our founding fathers believed valuable enough to risk everything on. They risked their fortunes, their families, their reputations, and their honor. They risked their very lives and many of them paid for our freedom with their blood.

[6] While the Billy Graham Library published this specific devotion on July 4, 2017, the provided search results do not specify the exact date when Billy Graham originally wrote it. His daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, published an article on a similar theme, “The Cross—Our Statue of Liberty,” which was adapted from a study originally published in July-August 2004.  https://decisionmagazine.com/anne-graham-lotz-the-cross-our-statue-of-liberty/#:~:text=The%20sight%20never%20ceases%20to%20move%20me,asking%20Him%20to%20continue%20to%20bless%20America!&text=This%20article%20is%20adapted%20from%20a%20study,Word%20worldwide%20for%20more%20than%2040%20years.

[7] Billy Graham, Hope for Each Day: Words of Wisdom and Faith, Thomas Nelson Publishing (HarperCollins): Nashville, Tennessee. pg. 195. This light gives freedom to men and women in the darkest of prisons in nations which are intolerant of the preaching of the gospel. One can have political freedom and still be a prisoner of sin, while one who is in a political prison and knows Christ can be more free than his jailers. Freedom in Christ is the ultimate freedom to be celebrated not only on special days, but all year around. (https://billygrahamlibrary.org/in-his-own-words-our-statue-of-liberty/)

[8] Vince Parrillo, ”True Immigrant Stories_1: The Statue of Liberty,” Blending History and Sociology in Different Media, posted 3 September 2013, accessed 2 July 2025. https://vinceparrillo.com/2013/09/03/immigrant-oral-histories-the-statue-of-liberty/

[9] “I Have a Dream”, a 1963 speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. that concludes “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”