“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34 NKJV
America is the greatest, freest, and most prosperous country in the history of civilization. This observation is rooted in the testimony of her founding fathers’ Biblical convictions. The vast majority of them were believers in Christ who lived according to the Christian worldview. Therefore it is not surprising that the Declaration of Independence affirms several self-evident truths. As a result of this foundation of truth, our country has been blessed with unprecedented greatness, freedom and prosperity.
The 56 signers of “America’s Birth Certificate” pledged to one another their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. They did so because of their resolve before Almighty God that all mankind had been created equal. People are the unique creation of this personal God and not just animals that have evolved from simple-celled organisms over millions of years.
These brave souls also affirmed that all mankind had been endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. The role of government is to protect the rights of its citizens that have been given by the KING of kings, Jesus Christ. If government did not give these rights, then it is not their jurisdictional authority to infringe upon them either.
The first of these God-given blessings was the right of life. The bony grip of the icy hand of death is the result of sin and is an enemy that ever looms over our heads. God is the Giver of life, breath, and all things. Every life is beautiful as a precious gift from His hand. To destroy life at any stage of development is an assault upon God Himself and a murderous denial of this right of life.
The second of these rights was the right of liberty. The iron chains of slavery are bolted to the deceptive strongholds of falsehood. Freedom is rooted in the absolute reality of truth vested in the Person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from truth, there is no freedom or liberty.
The third of these rights was the pursuit of happiness. Under the Godly influence of their Puritan forbears and Blackstone’s jurisprudence, our founding fathers were affirming the enjoyment of the good things of life under the moral restraints of the law of God as spelled out in the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. They were not approving of unbridled debauchery.
America has been the greatest, freest, and most prosperous country in the history of civilization. This is because of our founding fathers’ affirmation of absolute truths vested in the eternal nature and holy character of the Almighty Creator God of the Bible. If our country continues to turn away from this foundation, we will be cursed to the same degree because of the fixed principle of reaping and sowing (Rom.1:18-32; Gal.6:7). God will not be mocked by the prideful arrogance of depraved sinners. Jesus Christ, God Himself, is the Sovereign Author of Liberty, whose blood was shed to secure freedom for sinners everywhere. This holy light of liberty is received as a gift of God’s grace through faith alone in Christ who said Himself, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32 NKJV). This is the nature of complete and total freedom which has made America great!
