Let Freedom Ring

“When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
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. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.” So begins the Declaration of Independence.
This Saturday is the day that we celebrate the signing of this document. As a nation, we rose up and declared that we will no longer be governed by a ruthless tyrannical ruler. A ruler that didn’t care about the people, but was interested in serving himself. The king of the land was only looking out for himself and didn’t care if those people he ruled over lived or died. As long as they did the bidding of the government, they weren’t bothered. The people soon rebelled and our nation was born.
Christians also have an Independence Day. The day we rebel against the prince of the world and turn to the One who created this world. The day that Christ reigns supreme and we are no longer a slave to sin, “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” (Romans 6:17,18 NIV)
As a Christian there was a day when you stood up against the tyranny of sin and began to say, “I shall declare the causes which impels me to separate my life of sin and begin to live a life of righteousness. I will declare my independence from sin and live for the One who created me.”
As we celebrate our nations birth and freedom from a tyrannical ruler, Christians should also celebrate their Independence Day. The day you committed to Christ and turned from the tyranny of sin. The day that you allowed Christ to reign and freedom ring.