Independence Day

On this day 233 years ago, the most important document up to its time in the history of the American colonies was read before the troops by General George Washington.  I don't think that the impact of the Declaration of Independence is well understood today; our society rarely seems to consider history.  When those 56 men signed the Declaration, they knew that the act would be branded as treason. They were marked for systematic persecution.  I found a wonderful article about the terrible sufferings of many of the Signers.

Independence Day is my favorite holiday. It embodies the spirit of liberty and patriotism- not to the Government, but to the country- which inspired the founders of this country. It offers an opportunity to consider our own day, as we see our liberties eroding. If called upon, would I have the courage that these great men displayed: a courage that defied the greatest military power on Earth and scorned loss of property, torture, and death? I fear that the true Spirit of '76 is rarely found now.

God has used the United States mightily for the advancing of his kingdom. It is often said that America was founded as a "Christian nation". Some of the Signers of the Declaration do not appear to have been Christians; however, the culture was heavily influenced by true Christianity, so even the unbelieving Signers thought and wrote as the believers did. Without the Christian foundation that our country was founded on, liberty would have been meaningless , a vain concept. See the French Revolution- a bloodbath.

Much is made of John Locke's influence upon American Independence, but Locke borrowed his thinking from the Scottish worthy Samuel Rutherford. Rutherford penned the revolutionary tome Lex Rex in 1644, in which he stated that the King was ruled by the law and not superior to it. Rutherford's book was also considered treason at the time, and the principles outlined in it were embodied in the Declaration of Independence's list of the wrongs and injustices of King George III.

What a blessing it would be if our country was governed by statesmen which displayed the courage and understanding of the Signers. Instead, secular philosophies have displaced the ancient wisdom, and apathetic citizens watch as their government gratifies them with one hand while stealing their freedom with the other. Our nation has fallen away from its foundation on God's law and instead turns to man for guidance.  It is steeped in sins of murder and idolatry.  We must pray for repentance and reform for our land: otherwise we will never save the nation for which the Signers sacrificed so much.