July 4, 2025

On December 16, 1773, at Griffin’s Wharf in Boston, American colonists, frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing “taxation without representation,” dressed up as Native Americans and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor. The event was the first major act of defiance to British rule over the colonies. It showed Great Britain that Americans would not tolerate taxation and tyranny sitting down and rallied American patriots to eventually fight for independence. 

I recall learning about The Boston Tea Party in school as I pictured great patriots in the American fight for freedom. It was very exciting! And it still is. We are experiencing those hard-fought freedoms (and new ones) 250 years later.  

It makes me wonder, though. How does an apprentice to Jesus live in freedom? A Christian’s freedom is quite different from the freedom experienced by a person as a citizen of a country. Because of the cross of Jesus, we have been set free from sin.  

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ²because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. -Romans 8:1-2  

No condemnation. No penalty to pay for our sin. No death. No clinging to our useless efforts for forgiveness and acceptance. Life with the Spirit. Freedom. 

That is exactly how we should think about the meaning of Jesus’s blood-bought freedom. It’s how we usually think of the word, freedom. We are free “from” something. For those colonists in Boston centuries ago it was freedom from tyranny and from taxation without representation. For Christians, it’s freedom from sin and death. So, what if we considered just as strongly the other side of that word. What if we considered what we are free, not from, but for?  

Freedom “for” or freedom “to” should put a new emphasis on our celebration. Asking ourselves what we have been set free for invites us to do the challenging interior work in our hearts. Because of my freedom in Christ, what has the cross set me free to do? Paul gives us an idea in 2 Corinthians 5. 

¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 

Jesus has given us the ministry and message of reconciliation. That is, Christians have been assigned the task of sharing with others and leading them to reconciliation – or – into a right and restored relationship with God. At one time, our sin left us separated as enemies of God. Because of Jesus, we have been set free from eternal separation, and we are free to carry that message of reconciliation to a broken and hurting world.  

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! -1 John 3:1 

When you hear or use the word freedom, here’s what I urge you to consider. You have been set free with a purpose. It isn’t a past-tense, one and done event. It’s on-going. It’s imperative. It’s other-oriented. How might you use your freedom to bring freedom to others? How can you use your resources and voice to help set others free from the things that bind them—to sin, to injustice, to addictions, to loneliness, to lack of medical care or education or clean water? It’s the ministry of reconciliation that you have been given. You have been set free to do that ministry. May obedience to this call in your life and mine be the very best way we can celebrate and live in our freedom.  

Have a wonderful holiday weekend! 

Nathan 

Nathan Hinkle

Lead Pastor

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