The Declaration of Dependence

          July 4th is a national holiday at which time we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  That day is declared the birth of the United States of America.  We celebrate our Independence from Great Britain.  Even though the colonists in America were British citixens, they did not have the same rights as British citizens living in England.  In fact, the British took advantage of the colonists by implementing heavy taxes to help finance military forays around the great British Empire.  The Declaration of Independence marked the weakly organized and militarily weak 13 colonies as an independent nation.  

          Not only did the colonies declare independence from Great Britain, but they were also declaring dependency on God.  The second paragraph states "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights among those are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".  The last paragraph states "With a firm reliance on the protection of the divine Providence (God) we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortune and our sacred honor."

          Our forefathers understood the God of creation and the God of Providence.  They depended on God in their struggle for freedom from the tyranny of Great Britain.

          As Christians we need to understand the freedom that we have in Jesus Christ.  John 8:32 states "you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free."  The truth is Jesus Christ himself.  He declared in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life." 

          How does the truth about Jesus set us free?  First, we have freedom from the penalty of sin.  Jesus became sin for us and paid that penalty once for all time with His own life and eventual death.  Second, we have the freedom from sin itself.  This doesn't happen immediately, but as we continue to grow in the faith and become more like Christ in character and attitude, sin begins to evade us.  Finally, we have freedom to have the hope of eternal life.  John 3:16 guarantees that whosoever believes in him will inherit eternal life.

          As we celebrate the birth of our nation and our freedom from England, let's also remember to celebrate our dependence on a holy and righteous God who gives us freedom to live righteous and holy lives. 

Happy Dependence Day,   

Pastor Dave