As we celebrate our independence on this 4th of July, let's remember how we broke free from the rule and law of England and set up our own Constitution.
As Christians, we've done the same thing when we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Like America, we've allowed all nations and people into our freedom. All who came unto the Lord, are a new creation and have been delivered from darkness according to Colossians 1:13 (Amplified) which says, "(The Father) has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of the darkness and has transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of His Love."
We are not of this world, even as He is not of this world. In John 17:16 (Amplified), Jesus says about His disciples, "They are not of this world (worldly, belonging to the world) (Just) as I am not of the world." We've somehow never really gotten hold of this statement. Our life, our security, our needs and our future all lie in the fact that we have a whole new source of doing and being done for.
As Christians, we've done what we as Americans have done. We've lost most of our liberties because we wouldn't turn loose of who we were in exchange for who we are. All of us originated from other countries of the world to this land of liberty. America was a place where "All men are created equal" and have been given our rights through our Creator God. All the rights of America were made available to everyone who became citizens. But, much like the Prodigal son, we became jealous over what was given to the ones who came behind us instead of looking at what we already had as citizens.
Many never really enjoyed their new liberties because they wouldn't leave behind the old things of their past We wanted to live in the new land with our own rules from the old life. We're not unlike the Israelites who were delivered from the bondage of Egypt. But, instead of walking in the liberty of the Passover, they were constantly looking back instead of ahead.
We came from all the nations of the world to built a new nations, but we brought our old traditions with us. We couldn't embrace the new life because we wouldn't turn loose of the old life. We moved to America, but wouldn't allow America to move into us. We still considered ourselves African Americans, Italian Americans, Native Americans and Chinese Americans among many other identities. We built our own walls of separation and lived in designated partitions according to our origins (Little Italy, Chinatown) so we could live by our own rules.
We built Chinatown, German Town, Little Cuba, Little Italy and many other places. We didn't assimilate by mixing with the other people or learning the new ways of our new life. We didn't become a new people in a new land, but remained the way we were in the old land. We held onto out heritage like it was more important than our future. Some immigrants never even learned a new language, but held onto their old languages. Some never took advantage of all that was offered here, but kept to themselves in nearly isolated bands. There are some who have never learned to read once they arrived in America.
I remember that as a kid, people made remarks about people of different origins from theirs. Most of them were made from ignorance and unfounded knowledge. I remember how Italian people were called "Wops." This had nothing to do with the Italian people at all.
Everyone of our family members came through Ellis Island or some other point of entry. When we arrived here, we were placed into two different groups. One group was made up of people who had their papers and the other group was made of those who didn't have their papers. On the back of their hands was stamped W.O.P. It didn't matter whether you came from Italy, China or Ireland or any other nationality. W.O.P. simply meant that you were without papers.
So many foolish statements or inaccurate comments have caused or created offense. Much of this has divided and kept America divided even to this very day. Since the oldest battle tactic in the world is to "divide and conquer," this plan has worked well for the devil whether it's a new nation, new covenant or new Christian.
The people Paul preached to about Jesus and our new covenant, wanted to hold onto their old way of doing things in Galatians 3:2 (Amplified) which says, "Let me ask you this one question; did you receive the (Holy) Spirit as a result of obeying the Law and doing its works, or was it by hearing (it)? (was it from observing a law of rituals or from a message of faith)?" Verse 3 goes on, "Are you so foolish, and so senseless and so silly? Having began (your new life spiritually) with the (Holy) Spirit, are you now reaching perfection (by dependance on the flesh)?"
In the Church, when you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you were made into a family in God's Image and likeness. Galatians 3:26-28 (Amplified) tells us, "For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith For as many (of you) as were baptized into Christ (into a spiritual union and communion with Christ) ( the Messiah, the Anointed One) have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ." Verse 28 says, "There is (now no distinction) neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
This unrenewed mindset has left the Church impotent for many years, but we won't turn loose of the old and take hold of the new. We hold onto the same traditions that kept us in bondage and then wonder why our liberties in Christ don't work like they should. There is neither Baptist or Catholic, Protestant or Pentecostal, neither male or female in God's eyes. We are all equal to Him.
We have reached the point where we now have Bibles written for equal rights for women that claim God is a woman. We have translations for the squeamish that remove all scriptures referring to the Blood of Jesus. Wycliff (a famous publishing company) has removed all references to Jesus being the Son of God, so it won't offend the Muslims. Some Bibles have now removed scriptures about the Virgin Birth and the Name of Jesus.
Why can't we, as Christians and Americans, just be what are instead of who we were? I certainly don't want to hold onto my past. I'm a new creation ion Jesus and I have no past. We act like what we had was better than what we now have (just like the Israelites who believed they were better off in Egypt). If that was true, then we would still in foreign countries and as Christians, we'd live in sin and death.
This 4th of July isn't simply an American thing, but a thing for the Church. Jesus broke my dependence on the world and made me wholly dependent upon my faith in His grace. As the Church, it's time we begin living by His Kingdom rule and will and turn loose of our old pedigrees and fleshly traditions.
John 1:16 (Amplified) says that, "For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received (all had a share and were all supplied with) one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift (heaped) upon gift." It's all been laid up for those who will receive of His grace and favor. Once we finally consent to what we've been praying, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," and release the things we used to be, then perhaps we can begin seeing what Romans 8:19 (Amplified) says, "For (even the whole) creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God's sons to be made known (waits for the disclosing of their sonship)."
2Corinthians 5:15-16 (Amplified) tells us, "And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake." Verse 16 says, "Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a (purely) human point of view (in terms of natural standards of value). (No) even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a Man, yet now (we have such a knowledge of Him that) we know Him no longer (in terms of the flesh)."
We can say the same thing about our walk in America. We celebrate breaking our dependence from others to care for and rule us and direct our lives. We take responsibility for our own destination as a nation, by God's divine guidance. We no longer see anyone after who they were (in color, nation, wealth or past), but as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
God bless America and her people.
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