The Red, White, and Blue
By Caron Cline
Burke County
The month of July offers the opportunity each year to celebrate the independence of our nation. The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which was a declaration that severed ties with Great Britain. Previously, each of the 13 colonies flew their own flags.
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the stars and stripes as the flag for the United States of America, portraying the unity of the colonies against tyranny. The US flag was carried into battle for the first time in Brandywine, Pa., in September 1777, quickly becoming a standard of sacrifice, freedom, and victory.
During the American Revolution, 4435 American lives were lost defending the belief that ‘all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. By the end of the Civil War, 498,332 Confederate and Union soldiers were dead. These men were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice defending their positions concerning economic practices, government overreach, and the evil of slavery. No one should be considered the property of another individual. Freedom from government control, exorbitant taxation, oppression, slavery, and injustice is worth the fight and the sacrifice that results.
The values our nation once defended were Biblical values and the willingness to stand for truth aligned our nation with God, Himself. As long as He fought for America, she was victorious. Sacrifice, freedom, and victory speak forth from the stars and stripes of Red, White, and Blue. Just as the American flag is a standard of sacrifice, freedom, and victory to the citizens of the United States, the cross is a standard of the same to Christians.
The entire human race is born into the slavery of sin and subject to a cruel dictator, Satan. A battle between good and evil has been raging for centuries. Yet freedom from the dictator would require the sacrifice of Someone Who was fully human and fully divine. The Creator of the human race humbled Himself, entered time and space as a baby, matured into a man, ministered for three years, and allowed Himself to be sacrificed on a cross for the redemption of the world. As He had promised, Jesus rose again on the third day, victorious over death, hell, and the grave. The sacrifice of the Son of God frees all who are enslaved to sin and breaks the power of the enemy over their lives once and for all. Followers of Christ experience victory over all the forces of evil, overcoming them by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and refusing to shrink even from death.
This July 4th, as we celebrate the birth of this nation, remember that the flag symbolizes sacrifice, freedom, and victory for every citizen. Yet the greater truth is that the Cross of Christ symbolizes sacrifice, freedom, and victory for every believer. We are citizens of an everlasting Kingdom, a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. (1 Peter 2:9) That’s worth a fireworks display every day of the year!
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Caron is a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Morganton, NC. She loves to teach the word of God.
Her desire is to see every believer grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.
You can read more Christian News from Caron HERE.
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