Sunday July 4, 2021
The Declaration of Dependence
Well, our nation has just celebrated the 245th anniversary of our independence from Great Britain. As our founding fathers looked to the future of the United States, I wonder if they could have foreseen such a departure from their original intent….including dependence on God. There is little doubt that they based our three branches of governing bodies on this verse. For the Lord is our Judge (judicial), the Lord is our Lawgiver (legislative), the Lord is our King (executive); Thomas Jefferson expressed the convictions of the American people in our constitution. But just as he used these as symbols of independence, we need to be reminded that it is dependence that sets us free…not independence. (See WORD WISDOM for a deeper study of judge)
We are a nation steeped in the history and tradition of faith. But so is the Church! In fact, we can trace our heritage back over 2000 years…not just 200! So, in that, here is the Christian Declaration of Dependence. May it be boldly “signed” by every believer. Amen.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal (“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female; you are all one in Christ Jesus” Gal.3:28). That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights (“But as many received Him, to them He has given the right to become children of God” (Jn.1:12). That among these are life (“I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” (Jn.10:10), liberty (Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” 2 Cor.3:17), and the pursuit of happiness (“For the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh.8:10).
That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men (“And the government will be upon His shoulder. and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Is.9:6-7) deriving their just powers from the consent of the government. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive (“The thief comes to steal kill and destroy” (Jn.10:10), it is the right of this people to alter or abolish it (“The God of Peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom.16:20), and to institute a new government (“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet.2:9).
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with one another (“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23), and to assume among them the powers of the earth, the separate station to which the laws of nature and God entitle them (“But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples” (Lev.20:24), a decent respect to the opinion of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to separation (“Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” Jas.4:4)…
The Declaration closes with these words: “And for the support of this Declaration of divine Providence, we must mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” This should be our response:
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common. (Acts 2:42-44)
It is time to declare our national dependence on God and God alone. God declares that apart from Him, we can do nothing…nothing (Jn.15:5).
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance. (Ps.33:12)
