By: Steve Wilmot
The Fourth of July celebrates our nation’s founders’ decision to inform England they would no longer live under British rule. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and ratified unanimously by representatives of the 13 colonies, our forefathers issued a Declaration of Independence.
This declaration led to war and most of the signers found themselves dead or broke when the war was over. Centuries later, we still enjoy the fruits of their declaration and sacrifices.
We are free. Free to say what we want. Free to worship God. Free to live wherever we want. Free to work at anything we want. Free to travel wherever and whenever we want.
Until you’ve visited another country that doesn’t have these freedoms, you cannot really appreciate what we have as Americans. The longing to be free is universal, but the realization of it is rare.
Independence comes with dangers, however. We are free to say what we want, but what we say could hurt someone. We are free to bear arms, but in the hands of a criminal someone could be killed. We are free to vote for whomever we want, but once in power the politicians we elect could pass laws that take freedom from us.
No one ever was freer than Adam and Eve. They lived in a paradise free from guilt, sickness, boredom, marital conflict, sin, sorrow, and so much more.
They were free to do whatever they wanted, with one exception. “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die” (Genesis 2.16-17).
What was the point of that restriction? Was it to take away Adam and Eve’s freedom? Or was there something else? Something more important?
We discover it was way more than simply keeping them from eating something they wanted. There was the issue of dependence upon God. It boiled down to an issue of the heart.
Satan showed up one day to take their freedom from them. He successfully hid from the First Couple what his plan was. They thought he was offering them freedom from an insecure, unfair God. At the heart of Satan’s attack was convincing Adam and Eve to make a declaration of independence from God.
“God knows that when you eat of (the forbidden fruit) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3.5).
Satan persuaded the first couple God was keeping them in slavery. They thought they were free, but they didn’t see the truth. Eating the forbidden fruit would remedy that problem and set them free.
Satan’s offer was independence from God. The last phrase in verse five could be translated, “deciding for yourselves what is good and evil.” Up until then, God defined good and evil.
If Adam and Eve wanted to know what was permitted and what was off limits, they asked God. Now Satan informs them he has a better way.
If they really want to be free, they need to be independent from God. They should be able to decide for themselves, rather than depend on God.
How did that work out for them? How’s it working out for you?
Independence from cruel tyrants is a good thing, but independence from God is foolhardy. As Samuel said to Saul after he disobeyed God yet again, “Rebellion is like the sin of divination” (1 Samuel 15.23).
Rebellion is reserving for yourself the right to decide what is right and wrong. It’s what the serpent invited Adam and Eve to do, implying God was withholding a good thing from them.
Rebellion is at the root of every temptation you face. Will you act independently of God and decide for yourself what you will do? Or will you depend upon him and do what he tells you?
A declaration of dependence upon God results in real freedom. A declaration of independence from him leads to a multitude of problems that steal happiness and purpose from your life.
Make your declaration of dependence upon God for how to live life to the fullest by following the principles for life laid out in the Bible.
A dependence for forgiveness and a fresh start when you blow it. A dependence for the power only God can give to live a self-controlled life.
A dependence to look to God for answers when you don’t know what to do next. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.
Join me in making this Declaration of Dependence today: “God, I will not live independently of you. I renounce my ‘right’ to decide for myself how I’ll live, and I announce that I will let you tell me what is right and what is wrong, what I should do and what I should not do.
You are the one I depend upon. You are the one I love. You are the one I trust. You are the one I will obey. I declare my dependence on you from this day forth.”
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Steve Wilmot is a former Edgerton, Ohio area pastor who now seeks “to still bear fruit in old age” through writing. He is the author of seven books designed to assist believers to make steady progress on their spiritual journey.