Our freedoms tomorrow depend on our actions today

Our American freedoms were born July 4, 1776, with signing of the Declaration of Independence. This document was based on an unchanging premise: “Every human being derives his inalienable rights from the owner and operator of this universe, almighty God, who revealed himself in Jesus Christ.” This thread runs throughout our history.

Pericles built a civilization upon culture and it failed. Caesar built a civilization upon might and it failed. Our forefathers built a civilization upon God and it will survive only so long as we honor the God who is central in our history and documents.

One of many documents shows us how central God is in the history of America. Rhode Island was established in 1683 with these words: “We submit ourselves, our lives, our estates unto the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords, and to all those perfect and most absolute laws given in his holy word.” Our forefathers founded our nation upon this belief.

The Declaration of Independence exalts faith in God and the dignity of man. God is mentioned twice in the beginning and twice toward the end. Faith in God produced this document and launched this nation on its illustrious career.

We stand as free men and women today. But will this be true of our sons and future generations? That depends in great measure upon what you and I do today. We must have a commitment to the preservation of freedom.

Love of freedom caused men to stand against tyranny in 1776. They pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to one another for the common cause. Could we find that commitment today for the perpetuation of our nation?

Tyranny was not defeated at the end of the Revolutionary War. It returns daily and must be fought continually. No generation is exempt.

We love our land, but we are not blind to her faults. Our nation was founded by individuals who believed in God, in individual freedom, in high moral values and personal responsibility. We must fight against indifference, lack of interest, self interest and put the good of all as our first concern.

Noninvolvement is the cancer that is eating away at the heart of America. We must stand in the gap when the battle rages. Each of us must see how important we are to the survival of our nation.

A nation never stands taller than when it bows its knees before its Maker. I believe this is the reason for our greatness as a nation. Unless this prevails again, our greatness is in the past and not in the future.

In our nation we find corruption, moral decay, and a steady moving from the things that made us great. The principles upon which our nation was founded are no longer our backbone. We can reverse the trend (II Chronicles 7:14). 

Ronald Reagan said: “If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be nation gone under.”

Most people today have forgotten that we are one nation under God. Christians need to stand up and remind people of this.