In 1945 from 19 February - 26 March, an event occurred which changed the course of the Pacific War, and at that, American history. This took place on the island of Iwo Jima, which translated is “Sulfur Island.” It was the largest armada invasion up to that time in the war. In 36 days of fighting, there were 25,851 U.S. casualties, 1 in 3 were killed or wounded. Because of the distance between mainland Japan and U.S. bases in the Marianas Islands, the capture of tiny Iwo Jima would provide an emergency landing strip for crippled B-29s returning from bombing runs. To say that is was a necessary victory would be a huge understatement – It was crucial.
But the Japanese were ready. The island endured a ferocious bombardment, but it had little effect. Hardly any of the Japanese underground fortresses (11 miles of tunnels) were touched. 21,000 defenders of Japanese soil were burrowed in the volcanic rock of Iwo Jima anxiously awaiting the American invaders. From up on Mount Suribachi (546 feet), every Marine everywhere on the small island was always in range of Japanese guns. The fighting was fierce. Historians describe U.S. Forces attack against the Japanese defense as “throwing human flesh against reinforced concrete.” Admiral Chester W. Nimitz said, “Among the Americans who served on Iwo island ‘uncommon valor was a common virtue’.” More U.S. Marines and servicemen earned the Congressional Medal of Honor, a total of 27, on Iwo Jima than in any other battle in U.S. history, but by a great sacrifice, paid for with blood. “Freedom Is Not Free”
On February 23, 1945, five U.S. Marines and one U.S. Navy Corpsman, raised the U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi giving hope not only to those fighting but to all of America back at home. As they lifted up the heavy flag pole, Joe Rosenthal captured the most reproduced photograph in the history of photography. As U.S. Camera magazine put it, “In that moment, Rosenthal’s camera recorded the soul of a nation.” Iwo Jima was the first place an invader’s flag ever flew over Japanese home territory. Hope was alive again for the troops and the entire nation. Of the six men pictured above — Michael Strank, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, John Bradley, and Harlon Block — only three (Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, and John Bradley) survived the battle. Strank was killed by friendly fire, Block was killed by an enemy mortar, and Sousley by an enemy sniper.
Similarly, there is a fierce war waging in the hearts of all mankind for their souls. This struggle between sin and righteousness will determine your destiny in Eternity. Long ago, an event occurred that gives every person hope. A heavy cross was lifted up on a mount called Golgotha outside of Jerusalem. The greatest Sacrifice of all time was when Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, suffered the wrath of God on human sin to free the souls of man. Only Jesus can free a sinner from the oppression of Sin by the shedding of His precious atoning Blood. Every sinner must be saved by Blood. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:32; 14:6; 8:36) “Freedom Is Not Free”
Just as the U.S. Marines died for the freedom of the United States on Iwo Jima, God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to Mount Calvary to fight and die for our freedom from our worst enemy – Sin. The literal blood of Americans had to be shed to keep our country free. But behold, the literal blood of God *Acts 20:28* had to be shed to free our souls from sin’s bondage and domination. Jesus won the victory “for you.” “Freedom from Sin Is Not Free” Our freedom from Sin cost God His own Precious Son, but it costs us absolutely nothing – Freedom from Sin is a Free Gift from God all because of the wrath of God that Jesus endured for our sins on the Cross of Calvary. Jesus paid it all.
Sin only brings death to your spirit and soul and separates you from God. Sin is the transgression (the willful disobedience) of God’s law. You steal, cheat, lie, lust, rebel, and love sin and self more than God. You naturally love darkness more than light and choose sin over righteousness. Many times your conscience, a gift from God, has warned you not to sin, but you have deliberately and with intent rejected your conscience’s pleas and warnings.
“Well,” you may say, “but suppose I do my very best, will not that suffice to save me from sin and take me to heaven.” No, my friend, God requires from man, if he would be saved by his own works, perfect obedience; nothing but perfection can be acceptable to a perfect, holy God. One wrong thought, one evil desire, one idel word, not to say anything of one wrong act, will absolutely shut you out of Heaven, if you desire to go there by your own works. That one sin, at once, when you commit it, puts up an impassable barrier across that “self-commendable way” to Heaven which is known by the common name of “the law.” If you can be perfect, and keep the precepts and commandments of God perfectly from your youth up, and shall do so till your dying day, only then you may have salvation by works. But if there be one flaw, just one mistake, then is that road to heaven is defiled and wholly stopped up, so that your foot can ever tread it. Only one man in history kept the law of God perfectly – the God-man, the Lord Jesus. He is perfect.
All your goodness, morality, decency, integrity and virtue, however credible, or your correctness, however rigid you may be, your own righteousness can never carry you to Heaven. Your good works seem good enough in your own eyes, maybe good enough in your church’s eyes, — but they will never do for a foundation to eternally rest upon. God will only be “Well Pleased” with His Beloved Son. (See Mark 1:11) You could never even “please” a holy and righteous God in your own self-works, much less “well please” Him. Your good works are no good and are sinful at their very best. Your only hope of Heaven must be the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
If you will be saved from sin, before all things it is necessary you should know that 2,000 years ago, God became a man and was manifest in the flesh. His name was Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and through His great and eternal love, came down from Heaven, and was for your sin incarnate in human form, He was born of the virgin Mary, lived a life of perfect holiness and of suffering; and at last the precious Son of God — this grief-stricken Son of man — became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus wrestled, and shed, as it were, great drops of blood as He seen the coming terrors of becoming Sin and His death-struggle. To the cross was He nailed, amidst shame, and humiliation, disgrace, and scoffing. There He endured pain incredible, pangs of body and agony of soul. He hung there between Heaven and earth, in the thick darkness for three hours: and at last, when the appointed time was come, when He had suffered all the wrath of God for sin for you, when the full chastisement of your sin had been laid upon Him, and all your iniquity had received its dreadful vengeance at His hands, Jesus cried, “It is finished!” He paid the full price sin and died in your place so you could go ‘Scot-free”. Then He gave up the ghost, and was laid in the tomb for three days and three nights, and then arose from the dead on the third day, and ascended to Heaven and sat down on the right hand of God.
Now, if you would be saved, my friend, it is necessary that you should believe in Him who was the Son of God (God manifest in the flesh), and that you should believe will all your heart these things: — First, that the Lord Jesus Christ is the divinely-ordained Savior from God the Father – the Christ, and that He is able to save all sinners, just like you, unto the uttermost that come unto God by him. You must believe, as well, that He is willing to save, and that He will save those that seek salvation, believing and trusting in His power and nothing else. It is by casting yourself simply on the merits of the Lord Jesus’ precious blood and His perfect righteousness (sinless obedience to God), as the ground of your acceptance before God, that you shall find peace.
No man can be saved if he does not trust his soul entirely in the hands of Christ. You must give up yourself from your own keeping into Christ’s keeping saying, “Lord Jesus, take me and save me, make me whole within.” And then, when God shall require your soul at the last day, you may be able to ask Jesus this: “Precious Saviour, please stand up and be my Surety, Shield, and Advocate, and bring me, perfect and spotless, into God’s presence.” To be saved, there must be a complete reclining, lie down perfectly still at foot of the cross and let Jesus save you and make you free. Lean on Jesus; place your total dependence on His Finished Work – His sinless life, suffering, death, burial, and resurrection for your forgiveness of sins. Trust your soul entirely with Jesus and be saved this very moment.
Do you desire to be freed from your sinful habits and ways? Are you full of guilt and shame? Don’t reject or neglect Christ; He is your only hope of escaping the hell you deserve. Procrastination will damn your soul - No one ever gets saved tomorrow. Don’t let sin and pride deceive you. If you choose to remain in darkness, Sin will only harden your heart and embitter your soul more and more. Sin is deceitful, don’t let it trick you. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. God is ready to save you now. God’s door of mercy is wide open, but only miserable sinners in need of a Savior can enter. Turn or Burn. Flee from the wrath to come. Right now, call out to God for mercy before it is too late. God be merciful to me a sinner and save my soul for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
