Restoration of Freedom

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson declares, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Yes, I know Thomas Jefferson wasn’t a Christian, he had his own highly edited version of the Bible. The point is, that even an unbeliever such as he can recognize that there is a fundamental longing in man for freedom and liberty. This freedom and liberty was lost in the Garden when our ancestors sinned and rebelled against God.

T. Desmond Alexander, in his book, From Eden to the New Jerusalem writes, “While the opening chapters of Genesis allude briefly to God’s blueprint for the earth, his plans are almost immediately overturned – for Adam and Eve betray their Creator and give their allegiance to his enemy. Expelled from God’s presence, they forfeit their unique status as viceroys of the divine king…Against this tragic background, the rest of thebiblical meta story describes how God acts to reclaim the earth, and especially its people, from Satan’s control.”

The story of Scripture is the Story of the Creator entering His creation to restore what was lost by our rebellion. This is what we long for, the restoration of our free and innocent state. And this restoration of freedom can only be found, not through governments of men, Declarations of Independence, or anything else other than a relationship with the King.
"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved —and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:1-7)

Happy Independence Day! And may God bless America from sea to shining sea!

-Chad