Freedom, Faith, and True Liberty

This morning I want to share with you some words that should mean something to us, and I want to show why they should matter.

So, let’s pray.

Father, as we come to this time, speak to us. Move us by your Spirit that we may worship you in spirit and in truth. Reveal to us your truth, that we may serve you rightly. For we ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

All right, Garrett, don’t feel like you’ve been left out this morning, because I’ve got a question, I need to ask you all the way from back here.

Do you know how the Declaration of Independence starts out? You can either shake your head no or yes. No, not really? Do you know a little bit of it?

Does this sound familiar: “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America”? Does that sound like the opening line? It is.

Listen to this, because it’s important that your generation, the generation sitting in front of you with the college kids, and the other generations in this room understand these words. This is the start of it, and I’m going to show you the importance of it:

“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.”

“Laws of nature and of nature’s God.” Who is nature’s God? Nature’s God is the creator of all things—Yahweh, whom we know as Father. So, they are appealing for the freedoms that God has rightly given to His creatures: “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.”

Now they’re about to tell us. And here is a key part. I bet you recognize this part, Garrett:

“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 all men are created equal.” That’s important. That’s biblical.

Remember back in Genesis when God said, “Let us create man in our image”? He made man in His image and His likeness. That is an important truth for the world to hear and for the church to know.

There’s a phrase that’s being used now in church teaching: “image bearer.” People say that everyone who has been created is an image bearer, and that is true. All people have been created in the likeness and image of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

But because we are image bearers, that does not make us children of God. Being an image bearer does not make us children of God. What makes us children of God is when we have been reborn through belief in Jesus Christ. That is what makes us children of God.

As we become children of God and look at the world around us—at those who are not born again in Jesus Christ—it is important that we know that each and every person who has ever been born in this world, and each and every person who has been aborted in this world, is an image bearer. They bear the image of God the Father.

In other words, God has made them with unique and wonderful worth, and it is God who desires to give them life through Jesus Christ.

It is in that thought that the men of the Continental Congress stated that all are created equal. We have all been created in the image of God. We have all been born into the world with opportunity: opportunity to make our way, opportunity to choose how we live, and opportunity to be restored to God through Jesus Christ.

And no matter whether you have come to Jesus Christ or you have not, there are certain unalienable rights. I want you to know this, because words matter.

A lot of times we read through Scripture, or we read through important documents like the Declaration of Independence, and we pass over words without really understanding what they mean. We think, “Well, that’s a big word,” and we move on.

But they say that because we are created equally by a holy God, we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. “Unalienable” means impossible to take away, impossible to surrender, and impossible to transfer to somebody else. That’s what unalienable means.

And what are these unalienable rights? As seen by these folks, they include life—the ability to live; liberty—freedom; and the right to pursue happiness. God gives you those, and no government should ever take them away.

We believe that the Creator who made all of us in His likeness and image gives us those rights: the right to life. What does the Bible say about life? It says it is appointed to each man, woman, and child a time to live and then the judgment. There is life, and then there is judgment.

When we believe we have been created by the Creator in His image and likeness, if we look at the language of Genesis, God says, “Let us,” meaning He is in the presence of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. “Let us create man in our image.” Each one of us is made in the image of God: body, soul, and spirit.

One part of that is going to die no matter what you do. One part is going to the grave. One part is going back to the dust from which man was originally created. That’s going to happen. But the soul of a man or woman is eternal as God is eternal. It will live.

But we have a choice: Do we live in the presence of God, or do we live in our own way?

As we get further into the Declaration of Independence, it is striking. They go through and list every charge they have against the king—everything the king has done against them. Then they come to the end of the document, and this is how they conclude:

“We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States…”

There are many people today who say these men didn’t bring God into this, that you can’t bring God into government. There are new phrases tossed around—political hot words—like “Christian nationalist,” trying to push those who love Christ and love their nation to be ashamed, to move away from declaring their love for God and country.

But look at what these men did. They said, “We… appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world.” Who is the Supreme Judge of the world? God. And whom has God set in place to judge at the last judgment? Jesus.

They are appealing their case to the Supreme Judge of the world, “for the rectitude of our intentions.” What does “rectitude” mean? Words are important. “Rectitude” means the quality or state of having strong moral principles, strict honesty, and upright character.

So they are saying, “We are appealing to the God who is the Supreme Judge of this world to give us the moral principle, the honesty, the character we need to state and stand on what is true.”

They appeal to “the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name”—and I find it interesting that the word “Name” is capitalized. What could that mean? One, that it is an important Name. And we should probably deduce that since they’ve spoken of the Supreme Judge of the world and now say “in the Name,” capital “N,” they are speaking of God Almighty.

“In the Name, and by authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare…” that these colonies “are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved; and that as free and independent States, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent States may of right do.

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

What is meant by “Divine Providence”? “Providence” is capitalized. Providence is the path which God lays before us, the providence of God—that this is God’s plan, that God is laying this out.

Because they believed it was God’s providence, listen to how they close: “We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

I want to encourage you to take some time when you go home today to see what happened to the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Many lost their lives. Some were arrested and their families killed. Almost every one of them had their wealth, property, and possessions taken away, and those who lived died poor, broke men. They honestly made that pledge to the people of this land.

That’s a lot different from many politicians today.

Here is what I want us to see today. Those who charted the course for the freedom of this nation were people who believed in God, were God‑fearing, included God in their work, and sought His direction.

So what about us as a people? What about us as individuals? What would happen in the church if we were called to sum up our belief and our actions by pledging to the church and to our Lord our lives, our fortune, and our sacred honor, and then living that pledge out? What would that look like? What kind of people should we be?

Psalm 1 addresses those who would walk with such integrity in their faith and before their God:

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked.” What does “counsel” mean? It means the thoughts, ideas, and advice of the wicked.

“Nor stands in the way of sinners.” That is, we do not join in the actions and patterns of those who oppose God and are lost in their sinful ways.

“Nor sits in the seat of scoffers.” That speaks to the way we talk about people and the attitudes we hold.

“But his delight”—or her delight, their delight—“is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.”

We find what we need for life and for living in the word of God. We study it, we consume it, and we let it guide us in how we should live before the Lord.

The one who does this is “like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season.” How many of us can say that we have been, or are now, in a season where we are bearing fruit for the Lord—that the way we live is bearing witness, producing fruit, so that others can see and hear the gospel?

This tree “yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” That does not mean he will get rich. It means that in all that he does, he continues to grow in his walk with God. He continues to grow in that relationship. He continues to be blessed by God.

“But the wicked are not so but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment.” What does that mean? Does it mean the wicked will not stand before God at the great judgment? No. It means that those who have lived for self, for the pleasures of this world and the flesh, and have not been made right with God, will not stand in the judgment as they hope. Their destination will not be what they expected.

Think about that. If you believe heaven is real, say amen. If you believe hell is real, say amen.

We’ve had some hot days lately. How many of you have stayed outside and said, “God, I love this heat. I’m going to stay out here all day just for the fun of it”? If we can’t stand that heat, imagine eternity in hell.

God forewarns the people He has created in His image. The sinner will be apart from Him—separated from Him. Not “a part” of Him, but “apart” from Him.

“Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous, for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

So, individually, we should take our relationship with Jesus as seriously as the founders took this document they sent. We should pledge everything we are—everything we are—to Jesus and to His church, expecting that the same things that happened to the founders might happen to us: some might be killed because of their faith, some jailed, some lose all they have. But no matter what happens, we will not let go of serving our Lord and His church as we should.

Because in the end, in the judgment, when our eternal soul stands in the balance, we do not want to be apart from God; we want to be a part of His kingdom forever. How awesome is that?

I’m not going to walk through Psalm 2 now, but it is worth reading when you get home today. Consider what it says about nations and leaders who set themselves against God Almighty, and about what it means for us together as a people.

For those who choose to pledge themselves to the Savior, to give themselves fully to Him, to be born again and made new in Christ and in His church, listen to this encouragement from Romans 8:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” You will stand in the presence of God and hear these words in judgment: “You are my son, my daughter. Welcome to your eternal home. In spite of what you have done, my Son’s blood has covered your sin.”

“There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

What does being “set free” look like? Does it mean that once you’ve been saved, you are free to live however you want? No. It means you have been forgiven. You have been set free from the death that was coming to you. You no longer have to pay the penalty that the law demands—but that does not mean you go on sinning. It means now that we walk in the newness of life.

“The law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death”—from the penalty, because the law shows us our sin. The law is like standing in God’s courtroom. It shows us what is sinful about us and why we need the Lord.

When we see that, accept it, and come to Jesus, the law no longer has power over us, because the penalty of that law outside of Jesus Christ is death. But now that Jesus has given Himself for you, and you have received Him, the penalty of the law is no longer laid on you. That does not mean we now go out and live any way we please.

“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Think about that. God sent Jesus in our likeness, to be made like we are, to experience life as we do, to be tempted by the same things, yet without sin. He went to the cross and took the penalty for every man, woman, and child who will ever walk the face of this earth. He took the penalty of the law for you and for me. How great is that?

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” What drives our minds these days? What shapes our actions—what we do, where we go, what we want to participate in? Are we living in the flesh or in the Spirit?

If we pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to Jesus, then we will want to walk in the Spirit of God—directed, led, and taught by the Spirit of God, seeking the Spirit of God in our lives, not the desires of the flesh and the things of this earth.

Why is this important? “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” A mind overtaken by the things of this world has a hard time submitting to God. Only through the Spirit can we come to Jesus. Only through the Spirit can we truly know and please God.

“For those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

I would say to you this morning that a major problem we have in these United States—a problem that jeopardizes the longevity of what we have known as a nation—is that the majority of our people and leaders set their minds on the things of the flesh.

Even in the church today, many people—across the broader church—are satisfied simply to fulfill the requirement of worshiping for an hour or so on a Sunday, then spend the rest of the week living according to the flesh. So much of the church has, as Scripture says, “the appearance of godliness but denying its power.”

Church, where are we? Where are we at fault? Where are we in our individual lives and our families? Are we willing to commit to Jesus Christ and His church all that we have and all that we are? Or will we let the flesh rule in our hearts and minds and leave us merely looking like what the church should be, but lacking the power?

Pray with me.

Father, I thank You for these words today. Indeed, Your word matters; all words matter. When we look at what we have been given—the opportunity we have with the life You have created us to live—and what we do with it, many of us need Your help. We need the move of Your Spirit in our minds and hearts, that we would have the strength to be who You call us to be in Jesus Christ and as Your church.

Then we may affect our families, our communities, our workplaces, our schools, and our government. Father, may they see You and Your goodness in us, and may they be drawn into relationship with You.

We thank You for this country. We thank You for the opportunities we have here that so many other places do not have. We thank You that we are free—free to worship and free to speak what we believe. Because we have that freedom, Father, make Your church, Your followers, Your children bold.

Give us the courage to commit to You every ounce of our being, that You may receive the honor and glory, that Jesus may be lifted up, and that all may be drawn unto Him. For this we ask in Jesus’ most powerful and precious name. Amen.