The Fourth of July

The Fourth of July

Yesterday, we celebrated the fourth of July holiday otherwise known as “Independence Day.” As we all know well, this is to celebrate the signing of the declaration of independence which announced to the world and the King of England that the thirteen American colonies would from then on be independent of the rule of the British crown. This is the marker for the birth of our nation and the founding of our earthly citizenship.

But, we must not forget that the importance and impact of this goes far beyond the American citizenry. The impact of the presence and power of the United States of America over the last two and a half centuries cannot be overstated. Nothing today would be the same if those thirteen colonies had not declared that independence. We cannot speculate about what would have happened in the realm of counterfactuals if the revolution had been different, but we can know what did happen and how it has influenced the whole wide world.

The sheer reality of this immense application is also a part of the American mindset. It may seem to belong to the generations before us, but it lingers even now in the American experience. What I am referring to is the sense of individual independence that most Americans feel. In its best and truest form it is defined by our concept of personal freedom, but in its more popular and deformed expression it could be called individual autonomy.

The distinction in my mind is that in thinking about personal freedom the person is given the responsibility and accountability to govern and regulate themselves under a common moral framework for their own well being without infringing on the well being of other persons. The problem today is that our vast and diverse culture does not have a common moral framework, which strips away the self governing aspects of mutual accountability and responsibility.

When these things have been stripped away, all that is left is a wild individual autonomy with no transcendent moral principles. I am not saying that no one has principles any more or even that people who do not share my Biblical worldview do not have principles. What I am saying is that we do not have shared and common principles founded in the same source. This kind of commitment to cultural pluralism is road to confusion and anarchy, and that is ungodly territory (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Our Declaration of Dependence

Instead of insisting on always grasping at our individual independence, which we will consider in more detail next week, we would instead, both as a society and as individuals and families, do well to recognize and acknowledge our dependence on our community, our Christian fellowship, and most for all on the Lord! 

Your community means more than just the people that live within the local area where you live. It means those with whom you engage in day to day interactions. Those people you see at work or the gas station or local gatherings such as sporting events, etc. These are the people who constitute your community and they will influence and impact you. As Christians it ought to be our hope and prayer that we could thoughtfully and intentionally impact them as well, especially with the message of the gospel and our Christian testimony. 

By referring to your Christian fellowship, I am meaning your church but, let's begin by asking, would you refer to your local church as a fellowship with close and meaningful ties that bind you together in a special way? If this is not the case, how could you begin to change your engagement and involvement to build stronger bonds of affection and friendship with your brothers and sisters in Christ?

But also remember that we were made for the fellowship and communion of the local church and we must be dependent on it. Without it in some way we will certainly be handicapped by the absence of this kind of fellowship. However, not only will we be affected but the body of the church will also be missing a meaningful and essential function that we were meant to contribute.

Finally, we need the Lord. Of course, we need the saving grace of Christ applied to us as believers (Ephesians 2:1-10). But, we also need the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit at work in us throughout our lives (2 Thessalonians 2:13). All of this is most necessary so that we may glorify our God and Father forever (Romans 15:5-7).

So let us declare today our dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ and seek to serve and honor with our lives now and forever!

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