As in most churches this coming Sunday we are going to be spending some time in our service remembering those who served our country, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. The book of Romans tells us this:
Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Romans 13:7 ESV
The context of this passage is honouring the government, but the imperative applies to the honour we owe to those who have paid for our freedom with their time and lives. If you enjoy meeting in a church on Sunday morning without worrying that someone is going to kick in the door and drag you off to prison, you may want to thank a veteran. These men and women have been used by God to restrain evil in our world and to protect us from tyranny. We need to live in a way that honours the sacrifice made by these people. We need to realize that many of our brothers and sisters in Christ do not have the same freedoms that we have. In that light we need to be thankful that God has given us the men and women of the armed forces to protect us.
Pastor Jonathan Welch
