Galatians 5:1
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Throughout the United States today, people everywhere will be celebrating the anniversary of the ratification of the Declaration of Independence—a document by which the leaders of the thirteen colonies in the New World declared their intention to break free from the King of England. The declaration begins: “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.” Today we celebrate that declaration of freedom from the yoke of slavery and the freedom we possess to enjoy life, liberty and to pursue happiness. If he were here, John Adams would be delighted as his vision for celebrating this day is similar to what he envisioned in a letter written to his wife:
“It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Pomp and Parade, with Shews (shows), Games, Sports, guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom, I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will triumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.”
On the one hand, Adams and the other signers felt it was a time of great celebration, but on the other, they also knew their lives were at risk. The 56 Founding Fathers, 27 of whom were trained as ministers, mutually pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. The Declaration of Independence was like a birth certificate for America, but the men who ratified it knew it could be their death warrant. The closing paragraph states, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence…” The founders must have had a firm sense that apart from God they could do nothing and that it would take the mighty hand of God to provide all they needed to bring freedom to this land.
There is much to be thankful for, much to celebrate on this July 4th, and much about which to pray to preserve our liberty. As Christians, we are reminded in our verse for today that, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”—free from the bondage of sin. We as a nation were set free from bondage to another kingdom. It is our duty to be ever vigilant in maintaining freedom and liberty. We must have the same vision, the same moral courage and determination as our founders to preserve and protect the precious freedom and liberty for which they were willing to give up everything. We owe it to them to preserve this great nation and the principles upon which it was founded.
Father God, we praise You that Your sovereign hand was upon the birth of our Nation, that Your laws and precepts provided the firm foundation required for it to thrive through the years. Please renew our vision and fill us with the moral courage and determination to preserve what our founders built with blood, sweat, and tears. May we never take our liberty and freedom for granted. And may we always remember that apart from You we can do nothing. In Your name we pray. Amen.
~ painting by John Trumbull
