I thought I would depart for just a moment today to talk about our country and remind each of us both of the blessing and of the dangerous pitfalls that lie between freedom and license. The founding of our great nation points out to each of us how carefully we must steward and shepherd truth, and how power can corrupt, and how freedom without the restraints of responsibility can degrade the very foundational truths we thought so powerful.

What we now think was simply people who came to this land to be free from tyrannical rule and the oppression of the state-established churches is more complex than that. Yes there were a number of reasons that people came across the Atlantic to find new life in America. At the very center of almost all the motivations was one word – Opportunity. That one thought drove people to pack their belongings into large boxes and board a ship, and come to the New World.

Opportunity promises no outcome. Opportunity does not play favorites, or stack the deck, or inherit advantage. All of those things happen because of previous issues. No- Opportunity is a wide open future ahead, that finally gives someone a chance to step into a different future than their past. That is the one thing that drove all of the early settlers, and leaders, and the ones who signed on to the Declaration of Independence. They knew that beyond all other things, the freedom to have opportunity is what was most important. The twelve colonies that voted on the Declaration (New York Abstained…)

Keep in mind, that at the time, the colonies viewed themselves as sovereign states, under the rule of the King of England, who himself was not beyond the law. The first part of the Declaration of Independence is therefore an outlining of the offenses against the law that the King had committed. Offenses against the covenants and restrictions of the law. There were over two-dozen outlined as serious charges against the crown. The declaration was way less one of rebellion as it was one of resolve to maintain and uphold the principles of opportunity. The King was restricting and capriciously stepping on the opportunity of the colonies, through taxation, military rule (Quartering allowed a commandeering of any person’s property, including their animals, crops, money, and even family members, for whatever purpose the military commander wished…rape and murder happened because of “quartering…”) denial of due process, cancellation of competing votes and ideas, and unwarranted arrest and detention. No – the colonies, begun in freedom and opportunity, had become oppressed because as the vastness of the resources were understood, the power in England wanted ownership. Ownership by a few and by a King went against creating opportunity for all. Concentrated power always oppresses, always takes advantage of, and always leads to selfish ambition.

Also understand that the thirteen colonies were a large portion of the Eastern US. The “Commonwealth of Virginia” encompassed what is now Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. North Carolina included all of Tennessee as well. Georgia included what is now Northern Alabama, Northern Mississippi, and Northern Louisiana. New York included Vermont.

Don’t for a minute believe the standard Marxist-driven and a radical progressive narrative that the Declaration of Independence was a call for radical secular humanist society. A lot of contemporary historians will attempt to use the declaration to be the foundation for all sorts of secular radical rebellion, with no room for God. Far from it. The individuals who voted to ratify the Declaration of Independence were largely Christian (some say as high as 52 out of 56 signers). A few of the signers later privately expressed questions about having faith, or outright denied having faith in God. But even these deists, or agnostics signed on to the three following phrases from the Declaration of Independence: This is from the transcription of the document at the National Archives:

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

The Three major acknowledgements of God in the Declaration of Independence:

In the Introduction: (Emphasis mine, capitalization is in the original)

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

Notice that they all acknowledged that there was a God who ruled over the Natural World. That would qualify them as a religious zealot today, but it was commonplace during this time. Acknowledging that God was in charge of Nature.

In the Preamble: (Emphasis mine, capitalization is in the original)

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”

Notice that they believed that a “Creator” made all men, and gave them their rights, their “opportunity”. It did not guarantee the outcome or the result, merely that all were given the chance.

In the Conclusion: (Emphasis mine, capitalization is in the original)

“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

They appealed first to “The Supreme Judge of the world…” Who might that be? – They all knew that to be God. It was no man’s job to judge the world, was it? They then declared something that should give us pause today, on July 4th. “With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence…” They declared that this newfound declaration is only possible with a firm reliance on Providence. Providence was known in that time to mean the “will of God” The States would be free, only if the Will of God were to be in accordance to the declaration.

Hardly an anti-theistic document. The fifty-six who essentially signed their own fortunes and lives and “Sacred Honor” away by creating this first declaration, knew that God was involved, that God was to be judge, that God was to be trusted. Oh that we could have leaders today who simply went that far! Leaders today give lip service to “God” only to live out and lead as if God is not there, or that His Judgement is not real. These men knew what they were doing. This was no rebellion, it was firm resolve that God was involved, and the right thing was to declare that these United States were to be a place of opportunity, of freedom, of dependence on a Creator, Judge, and Leader/Provider. Thank you, Lord, for leading these men to declare independence and leading the creation of a new type of country, a country, imperfect, but full of opportunity. Thank you for allowing us to live here!

What can we learn from this and apply to our lives today? Here are a few thoughts to consider:

1. Freedom is not “Free From”  But a sacred result of appropriate dependence on Someone who knows more, sees more, has righteousness, and the power to provide and direct.   True freedom for all comes from depending on God.  Only through right relationship with God, can you truly be free.  As a nation, as a community, as a family, and as an individual.  Throughout history, the only time freedom has come that has lasted, it has been through acknowledgement and dependence on God Himself. Paul cautioned against those that took the new found freedom in Christ and made it license to sin.  Freedom requires responsibility.  Responsibility grows out of appropriate connection to the source of truth and law and justice – God Himself! In dependence upon Him – Freedom!  In-dependence Day!

2. Opportunity is another word for Grace.  Opportunity is always about what lies ahead.  The enemy of opportunity is a focus on the failings of the past, the brokenness and sins of others and of ourselves, the broken identities that come with failure and sin.  All of those things remove opportunity.  But opportunity is about stepping forward from your past, right now, in the present into something greater. 

   God’s grace is exactly that – Opportunity.  You, who had NO CHANCE at being righteous, NO CHANCE at being good enough to be adopted into His family, now have been granted by God’s grace, the opportunity to be part of His chosen people.  If He is drawing your heart, listen to it.  There’s opportunity before you – there is grace that will undo your past, there is hope ahead.  Don’t let your past define you. Step into the Grace of God and into His presence.  Jesus Christ has sacrificed his perfect and sinless body on the cross, so that your meaningless, unrighteous life may be put to death with Him.  He rose to demonstrate that even death is no enemy anymore.  Jesus’ resurrection means that you can be raised as a new creation, a new person, with Grace only before you.   Join with God through Jesus now, and become new in Christ.  The Father will adopt you, and let you live as an inheritor of His Kingdom.  The Spirit will empower you to live the new life and will teach you.  Jesus will be your Lord and call you out into His Ekklesia and give you a purpose and a calling.  You can die to the old self and live new in Christ.  Do it now!

Do you know that as people give their entire lives to Christ and submit and depend upon Him, and remain connected, attached, to Him that we will begin to change this society and culture that we live in?  There is a natural seasoning to those around a Christian – whom Jesus called “The Salt of the Earth” In Matthew 5:13  You, submitted to Christ, walking with the Father, empowered by the Spirit will bring influence and seasoning to every place you go and every one who run into.  The seasoning will make them thirsty for the Living Water that you have as a Christian.  They too will become thirsty, and God the Father will draw them to Himself, through you.

Come and join in the rebellion against tyranny!  Our world is locked in bondage to so many things, so many tyrants running their lives.  Let’s declare that those tyrants are illegitimate and have overstepped their authority.  Let’s declare that we depend on God, and call those around us, the families and communities around us to depend on God, and let’s build a nation of followers of Christ, all for the Glory of God Himself!

Amen!