The Declaration of Dependence
We celebrate the 4th of July as if it is the birth of our nation. Actually it isn't. On Independence Day the Colonies, not the United States, declared their independence from the crown of Great Britain. In fact if you read the Declaration of Independence most of it sounds like an indictment of a criminal, in this case King George. Before we became the United States there was that messy business of the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation, and the adoption of our Constitution and Bill of Rights. As we celebrate the 4th of July there are a couple of things we will do well to remember.
In the Declaration of Independence there is a significant declaration of dependence. On three occasions, in this relatively short document, there is a direct appeal and statement of dependence upon God.
In the first paragraph it is stated that the colonies are entitled to, “...the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them,...” In other words national liberty is a trust from God, not something issued by the state or the ruler.
In the second paragraph we read a declaration about the equality of all mankind. ”We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator…” While it took some time for this to be fully realized, the founders understood that the foundation of human equality is in creation by God. The further we move from a deep understanding and commitment to God the less likely we are to enjoy the benefits of human equality.
After the brutal indictment of King George our founders, in the conclusion of this Declaration of Independence, make their appeal to ultimate authority. And the last paragraph they write, “...appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions,”. Rectitude is not a word that we use very often. It simply means moral righteousness. The founders were saying, “We're doing this because we believe that the ultimate Judge of the universe would have us behave this way”.
There is no sense in which freedom has intended by our founders to mean that we are free to do whatever we want. We are free to do that which is right. That which is right is determined by the Supreme judge of the universe.
Which brings us to the question that we need to ask of ourselves and our nation. The question is not, “Am I free to do this or that thing?” The question ought to be, “Is this the righteous, moral and godly thing to do? Our Declaration of Independence has at its core a declaration of dependence. As America drifts away from depending upon God we can be assured that the freedoms that we have enjoyed will be lost.
So many times we hear politicians, especially during campaigning season, say things like ‘God bless America’. I would suggest that we change that, let our cry be “America, bless God”.
