On June 17, 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived as a gift of friendship from the people of France, after being shipped across the Atlantic Ocean in 350 pieces and packed in over 200 cases. The statue, costing $250,000 and measuring 305 feet from pedestal to the top of its torch, and weighing about 450,000 pounds, is often called Lady Liberty. The statue is a robed female figure with an uplifted arm holding a torch, and arrived in New York Harbor, was reassembled and then dedicated October 28, 1886.
“Words from Above” in the Bible tell us that an actual real figure came
from heaven and was born in human form over 2,000 years ago to not just
represent liberty, but to actually give the people of the world total spiritual
liberty and freedom. This very real person was the Son of God, and He was
named Jesus. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit of God, was born of the
virgin Mary, and died on a cruel Roman cross. He taught about the kingdom
of God, performed many miracles, and died to pay the penalty for the sins of
all the people of the world. The price that He paid, through the shedding of
His own blood, provided liberty from the power of spiritual sin and spiritual
death.
Just like the Statue of Liberty was first dismantled before it could be
shipped to America, and then the pieces reassembled after it arrived, the life
of the soul of humanity had to be restored through God’s wonderful gift of
salvation and eternal life. This restoration was accomplished by the death of
Jesus, who died so that the people of the world would not have to die. What
this means is that he took our place and gave us victory over sin and death.
In order to claim that victory, we must confess our sins to God, ask for His
forgiveness for those sins, and invite Jesus to come and live within our lives
through His Holy Spirit.
What Jesus did on the Cross was much more than a gift of friendship,
for it was a gift of love from God. Not only did He originally create us in His
image and after His likeness, but after sin marred that likeness and image,
He restored that image and likeness. Like Lady Liberty holds a torch in her
Hand, Jesus holds us in His hand and holds us by the hand, so that one day
He can present us to God as His glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle,
or any such thing, but that we would be holy and blameless in His sight.
Larry R. Steffee is pastor of the Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Miller Road in Smithville. Everyone is welcome to attend. For informa-tion, you may email lrsteffeetn@yahoo.com.
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