Our Declaration of Dependence
True Freedom Begins with Dependence on God
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD." — Psalm 33:12
As America celebrates Independence Day, Christians should also remember our Declaration of Dependence—our complete dependence upon Almighty God.
John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, understood this truth well. He wrote:
"Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual. Continue steadfast and with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which Heaven gave and no man ought to take from us."
What a powerful statement! Hancock recognized that while liberty is a precious gift, it can only be preserved by a people who acknowledge their dependence upon God.
Roger Sherman, the only man to sign all four of America's founding documents—including both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution—made an even more direct confession of faith:
"I believe that there is one only living and true God, existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are a revelation from God and a complete rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him."
Did you catch that?
The Scriptures are "a complete rule" to direct us in how we glorify and enjoy God.
If the Bible is God's complete rule for faith and practice, then it must shape our thinking, guide our decisions, and govern our lives.
Yet the spiritual condition of our nation tells a different story.
One Barna survey reported that only 19% of born-again Christians hold a biblical worldview. According to the American Bible Society, only 11% of Americans read the Bible every day. LifeWay Research also found that 51% of U.S. churchgoers have never even heard of the Great Commission.
Those statistics should cause every believer to pause.
How can we claim to depend on God while neglecting His Word? How can we expect biblical thinking when the Bible is rarely read? How can we fulfill Christ's command to make disciples if many Christians have never even heard of the Great Commission?
The Bible transforms our minds, strengthens our faith, and directs our steps. It is not merely a book to admire—it is God's perfect guide for living.
So as we celebrate America's independence, let us ask ourselves a more important question:
Are we truly dependent upon the Lord?
Do we recognize Him as the source of every blessing we enjoy? Are we thankful for His grace, His provision, and the freedoms He has allowed us to experience as both Christians and American citizens?
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD."
May our churches, our homes, and our hearts once again declare complete dependence upon Him.
It is certainly something worth thinking about—and even more importantly, something worth living.
The Voice in the Wilderness
