{"id":473,"date":"2025-07-04T13:00:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T18:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scottferguson.com\/thoughts\/?p=473"},"modified":"2026-01-24T14:35:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T19:35:11","slug":"let-freedom-ring-twice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scottferguson.com\/thoughts\/2025\/07\/let-freedom-ring-twice\/","title":{"rendered":"Let Freedom Ring, Twice"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, America celebrates freedom.<\/p>\n

On July 4, 1776, fifty-six brave men signed the Declaration of Independence<\/a>. By doing so, they sparked the birth of a nation founded on the belief that liberty is worth fighting for. They risked everything, homes, livelihoods, and lives, for an ideal they believed came not from kings or governments, but from God Himself: that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m deeply thankful to live in the United States of America. I don\u2019t take our freedoms lightly\u2014freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to gather, worship, and speak truth without fear. These are gifts bought with the blood of patriots. They deserve our respect and remembrance.<\/p>\n

This day feels even more special to me personally. July 4 is also my birthday, and it\u2019s the same for my son. That makes this celebration of freedom feel especially meaningful. I wake up on this day with a full heart, grateful for family, faith, and the privilege of being born in this country.<\/p>\n

But as we wave our flags and watch fireworks light up the night sky, I want to draw your attention to another kind of freedom. A deeper, everlasting freedom. One that no government can give and no enemy can take away. It\u2019s the freedom offered by Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

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The Truth That Sets You Free<\/strong><\/h5>\n

In John 8:32, Jesus said, \u201cAnd ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.\u201d<\/em> A few verses later, He declared, \u201cIf the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed\u201d (John 8:36).<\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s something remarkable about that word: indeed. It\u2019s not just about freedom in theory. It is not simply symbolic. Nor is it merely a metaphor. It\u2019s authentic, soul-deep liberation from the power and penalty of sin.<\/p>\n

We were all born under tyranny, not by a crown or constitution, but through sin\u2019s grip. Sin doesn\u2019t just restrict us; it controls us. It keeps people trapped in guilt, shame, addiction, and regret. But Jesus came to set us free.<\/p>\n

\u201cStand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,\u201d<\/em> Paul wrote in Galatians 5:1, \u201cand be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.\u201d<\/em><\/pre>\n
When Jesus steps into a life, chains are broken. Hearts are transformed. Moreover, people leave behind old habits with renewed hope. That\u2019s not religion. That\u2019s freedom.<\/p>\n
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A New Kind of Independence<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Our American independence was achieved through war and sacrifice. However, our spiritual freedom was gained through a cross and an empty tomb.<\/p>\n
Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again so you could experience freedom, not just from punishment, but from sin\u2019s control. And He offers this liberty freely to everyone.<\/p>\n
The Bible provides a clear path:<\/p>\n