Remembering with Gratitude: Honouring the Cost of Freedom

Remembering with Gratitude:
Honouring the Cost of Freedom

Every year, on Remembrance Sunday, we pause as a nation to remember those who gave their lives for our freedom. We wear our poppies, we observe a moment of silence, and we stand in gratitude for the men and women who served - and still serve - with courage, sacrifice, and love for others.

It is right and good to remember them. Scripture reminds us in John 15:13 (NLT), "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends." Those words of Jesus echo through the centuries, calling us not only to remember human bravery but also to recognise the ultimate example of sacrificial love - the cross of Christ.

The Cost of Freedom
Freedom ames at a cost. The freedoms we enjoy today - to gather, to worship, to live in peace - were purchased with blood, sweat, and tears. Those who fell on the battlefields of history remind us that liberty is precious and never cheap.

In the same way, our spiritual freedom was not freely obtained; it was bought at the highest possible price. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, laid down His life on the cross to set us free from the power of sin and death. The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5:1 (NLT), "So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law."

Just as soldiers fought to protect us from earthly oppression, Christ fought and conquered the spiritual oppression of sin. His victory on the cross and His resurrection three days later secured eternal life for all who believe in Him.

Lest We Forget
When we say, "Lest we forget," it is more than a phrase - it is a call to remembrance. Forgetting leads to apathy, and apathy leads to loss. We honour the fallen by remembering their sacrifice, and we honour Christ by remembering His.

At the Lord's Table, Jesus Himself commanded us to "do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19, NLT). Just as the poppy reminds us of those who gave their lives in war, the bread and the cup remind us of the One who gave His life for our salvation.

Living in the Light of Sacrifice
Remembrance should stir us not only to gratitude but also to action. As we remember those who gave their lives, let us also live in a way that honours their sacrifice - walking in humility, seeking peace, and showing love to others.

And as we remember Christ's sacrifice, let us live in obedience to Him - loving God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and loving our neighbour as ourselves. The best way to honour the fallen is to live for the values they fought for. The best way to honour the Saviour is to live for the One who died and rose again for us.

A Moment to Reflect
This Remembrance Sunday, take a moment not only to remember the heroes of history but to reflect on the Saviour of humanity. The same Jesus who said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you" (John 14:27, NLT) still offers peace to every heart that turns to Him.

So, as the bugle sounds and the silence falls, let your heart be filled with gratitude - for those who laid down their lives in war, and for the One who laid down His life to bring us peace with God.

Lest we forget - both their sacrifice and His.