" You may have seen the Lotto 6/49 ad on T.V. where they show all the beautiful things of the world, the ad then ends with the slogan, " Imagine Freedom! "....... Imagine for a moment complete financial freedom! To be debt free, to own a ( mortgage free ) beautiful home, to own ( not - lease ) and drive a most luxurious car, to vacation in the most beautiful places on this earth all the time.........just imagine!
During this Season of Lent I have meditated on another kind of freedom, that is, the freedom we have in Christ!
To explain or define this freedom we can go to the Heidelberg Catechism and notice what it says about freedom in Christ Jesus.
" He has set me free from the tyranny of the devil." ( Lord's Day 1 )
" Our Lord Jesus was given us to set us completely free and to make us right with God." ( L.D. 6 )
" He has set us free by the one sacrifice of his body, and continually pleads our cause
with the Father " ( L.D. 12 )
" He has set us free from sin and from the tyranny of the devil, and has bought us, body and soul, to be
his very own." ( L.D. 13 )
" He has set us free, body and soul, from eternal condemnation, and gains for us God's grace, righteousness, and eternal life." ( L.D. 15 )
" He sets us free from the severe judgment of God that was to fall on us. " ( L.D. 15 )
" God grants me the righteousness of Christ to free me forever from judgment." ( L.D. 21 )
Now, to win the lottery and fully experience the freedom that is advertised, you have one chance in a million to experience freedom, that being the nature of the game. The freedom we have in Christ is paid for with his blood and we receive it by faith. It is fully paid for, once and for all! To quote an old hymn,
" Nothing, no nothing I bring, only to Thy cross I cling. " " Were the whole realm of nature mine, that would be a PRESENT far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all "
Which freedom do you imagine? Which freedom do you choose?........... Have a blessed Easter. The Lord has risen, he has risen indeed! HALLELUJAH!
