Today is Memorial Day. It is a time when we stop to honor those who
have served in the various branches of our military to preserve the liberties
we cherish in this land of liberty - the United States of America. Especially we honor those who have given
their lives, made the ultimate sacrifice, so that we can be free. It is right to do this. It is good to remember the cost of liberty,
so that we can treasure it and not take it for granted.
As
Seventh-day Adventists we are at war. We
are part of the army of the Lord engaged in a fierce conflict against the devil
and his army. This war has been going on
for over 6,000 years. It began in
heaven, for Revelation 12 tells us there was "war in heaven". The great rebel, Lucifer who became Satan, began
a relentless campaign to enslave and destroy.
Jesus, the Son of God, led the armies of heaven in casting out the liar
and murderer and maintaining the liberty God want for His creation.
This
earth then became the battlefield, and the first casualty here was Abel. He was killed because of his faith filled
obedience to God. Many others have given
their lives in this ongoing war that we call "The Great Controversy
Between Christ And Satan". Hebrews
11 is a small and partial listing of these fallen "warriors of
faith".
But there
is One we need to especially remember and honor because without His sacrifice,
the true Ultimate Sacrifice, all would have been lost. It is only because of the death of Jesus that
we are able to enjoy the freedoms we do right now. Without His death there would be no liberty
at all, anywhere in the world or universe.
"If the Son therefore shall make you free,
ye shall be free indeed." These
words of Jesus found in John 8:36 remind us that the freedom we have in this country,
the freedom we have in America, any freedom anywhere in the world; is only
because of the death, the life, and the ongoing work of the Son of God.
"For
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of
sin and death." (Romans 8:2) "Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again" (Galatians
5:1) in the old life of sin and death. Jesus
sets us free from the devil. The life
and death and ongoing work of Jesus sets us free from the slavery of
Satan. Following Jesus gives us the
freedom to enjoy the life that comes in obedience to God. "I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy
precepts." (Psalm 119:45)
Every
seventh day, every Sabbath, is our Memorial Day. The day God Himself set aside to remember and
honor our Creator and Redeemer. ) "Thanks
be unto God for his unspeakable
gift." (2 Corinthians 9:15)
