Are You Celebrating?

Every year we celebrate it – our independence. Wikipedia gives an accurate description of the importance of this celebration, “Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.”

Freedom is worth celebrating. I remember a group of people who endured over 400 years of slavery – the children of Israel. They were in bondage to Pharaoh, and were responsible for making bricks to construct buildings throughout Egypt.

Imagine their joy when Pharaoh finally let them go! It didn’t happen overnight, in fact, the Lord sent ten horrific plagues that affected land and people alike. It took the death of Pharaoh’s son to convince him that the God of the Israelites was indeed a God to be feared.

The people were free. No more making bricks, no more taskmasters, no more beatings. They were free to worship the Lord in the manner that He showed them. But freedom didn’t come easy. There was hard work involved – travelling hundreds of miles on foot, setting up and taking down tents, getting along with everyone else who was on this pilgrimage from Egypt to the Promised Land.

On several occasions, the children of Israel became disenchanted with their freedom. When they came into the wilderness of Sin, they had reached their limit. Grumbling turned into complaints against Moses and Aaron, “Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth in to this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger,” (Exodus 16:3; KJV). In a matter of months, the Israelites had shifted from celebrating their freedom, to longing for the land where they had been enslaved.

What silly people! Yet don’t I do the same thing? I was set free from the slavery of sin when I put my faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross. What a reason to celebrate. But as I journey through life, difficulties trip me up and I forget the joy I originally experienced. Just like the children of Israel, I begin to take my freedom for granted and complaining soon follows. Once again I fall prey to the slavery of sin.

God’s Word provides the map I need to get back on course. He is gracious, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust,”  (Psalm 103:14). He reminds me I’m freed from sin and am able to serve Him, “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life,” (Romans 6:22).

I have every reason to celebrate – I’m free from the grip of sin, and I live in a country where I am free to worship the God of heaven.

Have you experienced freedom from sin by accepting Christ as your Savior (Ephesians 2:8-9)? If so, are you living like the children of Israel, disenchanted with your freedom? What step will you take today to get back on course and celebrate your freedom?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity to celebrate true freedom – freedom from the slavery of sin. Help me to realize what a precious gift you’ve given me. Help me not to take it for granted. Thank you for America, a country where I can worship you freely. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

*I'm hosting over at Living by Grace today. Come join in the discussion!

Life: A Gift Worth Celebrating

July. A time for families, celebrations, and picnics. As we prepare to celebrate our nation's 234th birthday, it's good to keep things in perspective. What are we celebrating on the 4th of July? With the permission of D'Ann Mateer at Inkwell Inspirations, I'd like to share the following thought-provoking article, written by her husband, Jeff Mateer, the General Counsel for Liberty Institute. May we praise our Creator for the gift of physical life He's given us. And even more importantly, for the ultimate gift of eternal life that He offers to one and all. Be sure you receive His gift so you can truly celebrate freedom this 4th of July!

A Short Lesson in History

My lovely wife, D’Ann Mateer, asked me to share my thoughts on the right to life. She rejected my first submission, claiming that it was too much of a history lesson and that it lacked personal experience.

My first response to her is, of course, anything that I would write would contain a history lesson. I’m a constitutional lawyer, who believes a large part of our problems today result from the failure of judges, law professors, and lawyers to strictly interpret the actual text of the Constitution given the original intent of the Framers.

My second response is I’m a lawyer and a man. I don’t share personal experiences, at least not for free.

Nevertheless, taking appropriate note of her suggestions, here goes my revised submission.

When I hear the words “right to life” what do I think of? Immediately, my thoughts turn to the current debate over abortion. I also mull over the controversy concerning euthanasia and other end of life issues.

The phrase “right to life”, however, is not a creation of the 20th or 21st century. It has its origin in the Declaration of Independence. Two hundred and thirty four (234) years ago, our nation’s founding fathers declared the self-evident truth that “all men . . . are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The founders unequivocally recognized that God granted all mankind basic moral rights that include, at the forefront, the right to life.


Our Founding Fathers’ recognition of these unalienable rights was not new, even in 1776. Instead, their recognition was grounded upon established English common law and ultimately God’s law. As recognized by founding father John Dickinson, “[o]ur liberties do not come from charters; for these are only the declaration of pre-existing rights. They do not depend on parchments or seals, but come from the king of kings and the Lord of all the earth.”

For centuries, our law consistently protected the rights of the unborn, the infirm and the elderly. As founding father James Wilson (who would sign both the Declaration and the Constitution and would become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice in 1789) observed, “[w]ith consistency, beautiful and undeviating, human life from its commencement to its close, is protected by the common law.”

Regrettably, things are different today. We have forgotten our history, centuries of common law, and in the end, our God.


In 1973, seven unelected judges determined that, despite hundreds of years of contrary precedent, the unborn had no right to life. Since that time, 52 million innocent lives have been taken. This past year over 1 million lives were terminated. Today alone, in abortion mills through out the country, 2,739 babies will be killed.

For over the past 30 years, we seem to be living in a society that does not honor life, but instead promotes a culture of death. The unborn, the old, the imperfect are often seen as expendable instead of having a right to life—including a right to impact our lives in ways that might make us uncomfortable. Or might even require some sacrifice on our part.


As followers of Jesus Christ, we can also rejoice knowing that He came to save us from death and to grant us true life. God’s word expressly tells us that while the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy (sounds a lot like today’s culture of death), Jesus came so that we might have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) Simply put, we have freedom and a right to life today only through the death and resurrection of our Savior and Lord.

So as we celebrate freedom this weekend, let’s remember that our freedom includes a right to life—physically and spiritually— as we stop to thank the One who created life in His image. Let’s also pause to remember that the battle for the right to life and the protection of the unborn, the infirm and elderly continues.




How can we celebrate life this 4th of July?

P.S. For my lovely wife: “Those who ignore history are bound to repeat it.” And my personal experience in writing this post tells me blogging is hard work.