We Americans have, for over two hundred years, celebrated our liberty as an independent nation on the Fourth of July.
It does not follow from this however, that all Americans are now free. Far from it! Think of the millions of alcoholics and drug addicts, bound with chains they only wish they could break. Think of the slaves to immoral passions, to violent tempers, to malicious backbiting, not to mention smoking and other habits they cannot control. No, the vast majority of Americans are slaves toβwell, sum it all up in one word: sin.
If God is a righteous Judge β and He is β He must of course, punish sin. RomansΒ 6:23Β says: βthe wages of sin is deathβ, but on the other hand, thank God, I Corinthians 15:3 says: βChrist died for our sinsβ.
The Lord Jesus Christ was no sinner; He had committed no crimes; there was no wrong He had to pay for; He had no death to die. It was our death He died at Calvary, and we are saved from the penalty as we look at Calvary and say: βThis is not His death He is dying; it is mine. He is paying for my sin. I will accept this gift of God and trust Him as my Saviourβ.
This is a wonderful truth: Death, the penalty of the Law, was inflicted on us β in Christ. Therefore the Law (i.e., the Ten Commandments) has no further claim on us. If it did, we would be condemned all over again. This is why Paul says in GalatiansΒ 2:19: βI through the Law am dead to the Lawβ. The Law may put a man to death, but after that what can it do? Nothing. The Law has put him to death (in Christ) and set him free from its own dominion.
Unsaved friend, God wants you to be free, really free. He Himself, paid sinβs penalty for you and wants you to rejoice in what Paul calls, βthe glorious liberty of the children of Godβ (Rom. 8:21), freedom from the condemnation of the Law!
Place your trust in the Christ who died your death and you will find how gloriously true it is that βIf the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeedβ (JohnΒ 8:36). source
