By: Mike Kelly
Retired Pastor
We celebrate Independence Day this week. On The Fourth of July, Americans celebrate the completion of the Declaration of Independence.
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration, thus affirming the independence of the United States from Great Britain.
What a momentous day it must have been for those 56 who signed because in addition to their signatures telling King George of England they’d had enough, each of them put their personal fortunes, lives, and sacred honor on the proverbial dotted line.
During the course of the seven-year war that followed, nine of the signers of the Declaration of Independence died in battle.
Additionally, 17 of them lost everything they owned, and five more were imprisoned or captured. That’s more than half the signers paid a very high price for standing up.
These brave individuals risked all they had, sacrificing everything for our freedom. Although it is not a religious holiday like Christmas or Easter, for many Americans July 4th is a time to reflect on God’s goodness to us as a nation.
Molded into the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia (which proclaimed our independence) are these words from the Bible: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof” (Leviticus 25:10, KJV).
What does Liberty look like? Among other things the Declaration proclaims, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that we’ve been endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…” “Inalienable” means that our rights cannot be taken away or even given away.
No government or individual can take our lives, our liberty or our ability to pursue what we find happiness in unless we break the laws in these pursuits. Note where these freedoms come from: “our Creator”.
We began as a nation that believed in a Creator God. Sadly, I’m not sure we could say that today. I wonder what that loss of belief in our Creator God does to these endowed inalienable rights?
Topic for another time. Moving on, our freedoms as Believers are even more impressive than those agreed upon on that July 4th in 1776 in Philadelphia. Among those freedoms extended by Christ’s death and resurrection, is the ability to meet and talk personally with the God Most High.
Ephesians 3:12 reads: “In [Christ] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
The Good News For Today version states it like this: “In union with Christ and through our faith in him we have the boldness to go into God’s presence with all confidence.” It sort of scares me to think of approaching God while he is on his throne but that’s exactly what prayer is about.
The Greek word translated here as “freedom” refers specifically to “freedom of speech” with a literal meaning of “all speech”. In Christ, we have the freedom to draw near to God, to tell God anything we wish, without holding back.
We can express to God our joys, our faith in him, our gratitude for all he has given us. But also, our sorrows, our doubts, even our anger with him. This is an amazing freedom.
We do not have to fear him or his displeasure when we fail or sin or doubt. WOW. Additionally, the word translated here as “approach” suggests our authorization to draw near to a king, in this case The King of Kings.
Heb 4:16 says it even clearer: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Boldness in the context of approaching the throne of grace refers to having confidence and fearlessness in our approach to God.
It means coming before God with assurance, knowing that we are accepted and loved. That means we will be heard and listened to by the One who can change everything with just a thought.
Think about the freedom that allows us to boldly, with confidence, approach the Creator of all Things, and expect not only a warm reception, but expect to be granted what we wish.
While we look with gratitude to the past on this July 4th, may we also look in faith to the future, and commit it and our lives to God and His will.
The ancient words of the Psalmist are still true: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).
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Mike Kelly is the founding pastor of Bryan’s Grace Community Church (retired) and Board Chairman of Bryan’s Sanctuary Homeless Shelter and Williams County’s Compassion (free) Medical Clinic.
