Declaring Our Freedom

On July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, our fledgling Congress published the following bit of classic literature.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

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.
- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

And on this day, in this place, let me offer the following.

The unanimous Declaration of those who are answering the call of God:

When in the Course of cosmic events, it becomes necessary for the One True God to dissolve the spiritual bands which have enslaved His people to sin, and to confer upon them an imbued righteousness, the free and equal station to which the righteousness of Jesus Christ lifts them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that He should declare the causes which impels Him to the dissolution.

We hold these truths to be divinely evident,
- that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
- that the duly earned wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23)
- that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)
- that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death (Romans 6:3)
- that if you confess with your mouth "Jesus is lord," and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9)
- that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life (Romans 6:4)
- that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)

Truth is...declaring one's independence and living out that independence are two different things.