“I Pledge Allegiance”
Since tomorrow we as a nation will celebrate our independence would you please stand and recite the “Pledge of Allegiance” with me?
We recite these words because we are free to do so because blood was shed by our forefathers for our freedom, but this isn’t our most important freedom.
Romans 8:1-2
Now this freedom Paul talks about is only available to those who accept Christ as their Savior and remain loyal to God.
When the children begin each evening at Spy they pledge allegiance to the American flag, to the Christian flag, and to the Bible.
And each one begins with three words, “I Pledge Allegiance.”
The pledge of allegiance is taught in our schools in the early grades and kids enjoy memorizing it but do they understand what pledge of allegiance means?
As adults do we truly understand what pledge of allegiance means or do we just say the words because we learned them as a child and that is what we are expected to say?
A baseball game doesn’t begin with the words, “Gentlemen start your engines”, and the drivers are not told to “Play Ball” at the start of a NASCAR race.
But when we are told to stand and pledge allegiance to the flag we do it, we sit down, and wait for what is next don’t we?
So I wonder do we truly understand what “I Pledge Allegiance” really consist of?
The word pledge means to make a solemn promise to do or refrain from something.
The word allegiance is to be devoted and loyal to some person, group or cause.
So the words could actually read, “I promise to be loyal to the flag.”
When we make a promise not to do something that is our solemn oath that we won’t do it.
Kids tell their parents, “I promise I will never do that again!”
Spouses tell their spouses, “I promise I will never do that again!”
Friends tell each other, “I promise I will never do that again!”
And you know something, most of the time it is a statement to get out of trouble.
There is protocol to be followed when it comes to the American flag.
Now I am not going to go over all the rules but to cite just a few:
The flag is to never touch the ground.
When displayed at night it must have a light shining on it.
When a flag gets damage or wear from the weather it should be disposed of.
Now if we as Americans make the pledge of allegiance to the flag then when we don’t follow protocol we are breaking our promise to be loyal.
I display a flag on the front of our house yet we don’t take it down at night and it has no light shining on it, so by law I am not loyal to that flag.
There are penalties but they are not enforced.
Now I feel fortunate to live in America and under the flag and I should be more loyal but just because I don’t follow all the rules doesn’t make me anti American.
But what about when we don’t obey our loyalty to God?
We do not actually say a pledge of allegiance to our Lord but we did make a pledge.
When we all became Christians we made the confession of faith which is a promise to obey our Lord’s commands.
When we sin we are in a sense breaking that promise.
Illustration: Making a direst promise to God.
That is because we are slaves to sin.
John 8:31-36
Notice Jesus tells these believing Jews that if they hold to His teachings they are considered disciples.
They were descendants of Abraham and were never considered slaves but Jesus was talking about being a slave to sin.
Satan has such a hold on people that sinning is commonplace, it is easy to do, and Jesus says you can’t free yourself.
He says a slave has no place in the family, they can’t free themselves because they have no authority.
But the son is a member of the family forever so he has the authority to set you free.
Jesus Christ is our authority and without Him we would be lost to sin but we need to have that loyalty and keep that promise.
And that doesn’t mean at our convenience, that means all the time.
Yet some keep their loyalty to Christ the way they do the flag. If you think about it don’t forget to bring in the flag.
If they have God on their mind they are more apt to be loyal but no one has God on their mind every second of the day, NO ONE!
I’m not totally loyal to the American flag and it really isn’t that big of a deal. Oh well so I forgot, I’m really not sorry.
I’m not totally loyal to God and I take that attitude I risk and eternity away from Him, and I am not going to risk that.
See God knows we are human and can’t be perfect but that is why He sent Jesus so we can be forgiven for the little things, and the big things we do.
I made this statement to the Bible study group Wednesday night.
You always hear people say that God can do anything but there is one thing God can’t do and only because He chooses not to do.
God can’t remember a sin that has been forgiven.
He forgives and forgets. That is our true freedom, that is what our true pledge of allegiance is all about.
Lady Liberty in New York harbor might stand for our political freedom but that empty cross stands for our eternal freedom.
And if that cross wasn’t empty we would have no hope.
