The Work Has Been Done, The Battle Has Been Won

Westminster, Maryland is very familiar with the Mason-Dixon Line, minutes north towards Pennsylvania. This line was surveyed by Briton to resolve land disputes and border violence between Maryland and Pennsylvania colonies. The survey was completed on October 10, 1767, by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon. Soon after, States south of the Mason-Dixon Line would offer rights to slavery while States north of the line would remain free for all men. A century later, Southern States would battle at Gettysburg in a fatal and final drive to penetrate the Mason-Dixon Line in attempt to bring slavery to all of the new United States. In 1868, three years after President Lincoln’s assassination, the 14^th Amendment to the Constitution would be ratified, giving rights to freedom and citizenship to all who were born or naturalized in the United States including former slaves, guaranteeing all citizens “equal protection of the laws.”

This freedom was not cheap, it came through the shedding of blood at the Mason-Dixon Line in the bloodiest battle of the war. Equally, the bloodiest battle for our eternal freedom was won on a battlefield at “Golgotha” (Mark 15:22), “the place which is called Calvary” (Luke 23:33). The victory was ratified “through the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20), with Jesus Christ granting eternal freedom to all citizens of Heaven (Philippians 3:20-21) [the word “conversation” in 3:20 means “citizenship”]. Just as the 14^th Amendment offered freedom and citizenship to all who were born in the United States, the blood of Christ offers eternal freedom and citizenship to all who were born on this earth.

Our Mason-Dixon Line is the Cross at Calvary which stretches “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:10-13). In these verses, the only thing in the way of receiving eternal freedom is “our sins,” which were nailed “to his cross” (Colossians 2:14).

THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE, THE BATTLE HAS BEEN WON — Today we are offered eternal freedom as a free gift. We cannot work for it, we cannot fight for it, we can only believe it and receive it (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 1:12; Romans 10:9-13).