“For freedom Christ has set us free: stand firtm therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery… For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “you shall love your Neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:1, 13-14)
Man today say that this nation was not founded upon the one true faith…Christianity. But, the actual verifiable truth is, while freedom from tyranny was high on the list of reasons for revolution so wasn’t freedom to pursue our faith…the faith of our fathers. The original thirteen colonies were all founded with constitutions that could only be compared with the covenant that God had made with His people. And while not all the founding fathers or the people living in this fledgling land were Christian…the common grace of God was seen in the religious freedom granted to all so the call to arms was seemingly just. Here is an excerpt from one of our believing founding fathers: “If your cause is just — you may look with confidence to the Lord and entreat him to plead it as his own. You are all my witnesses, that this is the first time of my introducing any political subject into the pulpit. At this season however, it is not only lawful but necessary, and I willingly embrace the opportunity of declaring my opinion without any hesitation, that the cause in which America is now in arms, is the cause of justice, of liberty, and of human nature.” — John Witherspoon, The Dominion of Providence Over the Passions of Men: A Sermon, Preached at Princeton, on the 17th of May, 1776. (One of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence).
But, we must remember, there was no promise from God that this American nation would survive or that it would continue to reflect the faith of most of our founding fathers. They lost much to keep intact their sacred honor for the ideals of biblical truths such as justice, liberty and human nature (pursuit of happiness…the pursuit of all that defines us as humans under God). This American nation is Not the promised land and we are not, as a political nation, the chosen people…though, in spite of our various and numerous and on-going sins, God has seemingly blessed us with His common grace. So while we remember and honor the sacrifices of those who argued, bled and died for our nation’s freedom we must be quick to give thanks to the One True and Sovereign God who is faithful with a steadfast love for His own to the end.
So true freedom, then, is not found in a political nation…but in Christ alone. “For freedom Christ has set us free: stand firm therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery… For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “you shall love your Neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:1, 13-14) True freedom comes to those who have been called to it through justification by faith in Christ Jesus alone… the Church…the true kingdom and nation of God. “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people.” 1 Pet. 2:9-10
Over the course of the next few days we will hear many people speaking of how great this nation is and what life in this American nation means to them…even in this day with so much strife with people wanting to cancel the 4th and the flag. But let us, believers in Christ, a holy nation of God make our allegiance clear as well as we stand firm with… “The King of kings and Lord of lords… the first and the last…the Alpha and Omega… the One who was and the One who is and is to come…the Almighty!”
On this Fourth let us celebrate the freedoms we enjoy but lets us remember the One who has granted us such grace to live out those freedoms to their fullest. We are free…because we have been called and granted freedom in Christ Jesus alone! We are first and foremost citizens of God’s kingdom in Christ Jesus but also citizen of the USA.
George Washington’s prayer:
Almighty God: We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Have a Happy and safe 4th!
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
