Pohlman During his tenure as President, Franklin D. Roosevelt made famous the Four Freedoms that helped to make our country great: Freedom from Want, Freedom from Fear, Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of Worship.

Freedom has always come at a high price. We would be heartless to fail to honor that sacrifice. Just recently, on Memorial Day, we set aside a time to honor those who have paid the price for our country's freedom. I would encourage you to set aside a special time each day and week to honor the One who paid the price for our spiritual freedom and more!

Christ has given us the Freedom from Want. Matthew 6:33 tells us to "…seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." He has provided us with Freedom from Fear. Luke 1:74 says, "We have been rescued from our enemies, so we can serve God without fear..." This freedom is stressed even further in 1 Timothy 1:7, "God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline." Through his Holy Spirit, Christ gives us a Freedom of Speech. In Luke 21:15 God assures us, "I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict." And, we have been given a Freedom of Worship. John 4:23 tells us, "…the time is coming and is already here when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way."

And there is a fifth freedom that is more important than all the rest. He has given us Freedom from Sin. Romans 6:22, "Now you are free from the power of sin… Now you do those things that lead to holiness and eternal life."

Just as we would be heartless and disrespectful to fail to remember the sacrifice others have made for the freedom of our country, we would be doubly so to fail to honor the sacrifice Christ has made for the freedom of our souls. Make a special point today to thank him, live and love one another in a manner that will confirm that his sacrifice was not in vain.

Tim Pohlman is former pastor at Burlington Church of Christ.