You may have seen the news reports about the new law in Russia. Yesterday Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill that made sharing your faith or even emailing a friend and inviting him to church illegal. Amazingly, in Russia today you can no longer teach your children your faith or talk to your friends about Christ. This can be done only in the confines of a religious worship service at church – – not in small groups in homes.

Christians around the world are up in arms – – and rightfully so. This establishes a dangerous precedent and criminalizes the behavior of the best citizens.

Why would you want to discourage “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you”? In America this week we understand the importance of “loving one another.” Why would anyone discourage that?

I’m sure this is a complicated issue, even in Russia today, but it is an issue with far reaching consequences.

But let’s remember one very important truth.

I am not prohibited from emailing a friend and inviting them to church. Nor am I prohibited from sharing my faith with my friends. I have every right to teach my children my deeply held beliefs.

Are we doing so? Are we passing on deep devotion and strong faith to our children? Are we giving our children every opportunity to know about Christ and to learn to live for him?

I still have the freedom to tell those around me the reason for the hope that I have in Christ Jesus (1 Peter 3:15). All of you who live in the United States and most of you who live around the world have freedom to tell others of the hope that you have in Christ.

Why don’t we take this day to celebrate our freedom to invite someone to church, talk to our children along the way, and share what Jesus means to us?

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