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| Photo by Martin Falbisoner 2013 |
As we in the United States of America look forward to
celebrating Independence Day, we give God thanks for our great nation, founded
on Christian principles and blessed by God throughout the years since her birth
on July 4, 1776.
Our Pledge of Allegiance to the flag recognizes that we are
one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Being
under God and being near to Him is what makes our nation great, as we learn
from:
Deuteronomy 4:7 For
what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our
God is in all things that we call upon him for?
Despite the cultural, socioeconomic, and ideological
differences among Americans, if we remain indivisible, or united as a nation
under God, we can gain great strength from one another. There is strength in
numbers when we work together (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Our diversity
gives us strength, much as God uses the unique gifts, talents and resources of
each member of His Body, the Church, to serve a specific function in His
kingdom (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:14-27).
Our sin nature often results in discord where there should
be unity, but only God can bind us together under His leadership, protecting us
from all enemies. As the apostle Paul wrote: If God be for us, who can be
against us?” (Romans 8:31).
God is the source of all our nation’s blessings, for
blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord (Psalm 33:12). Whatever
problems and challenges our country may be facing, God has promised to heal our
land if we humble ourselves, turn away from our sins, and pray for His blessing:
2 Chronicles 7:14 If
my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and
seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
As the Pledge of Allegiance reminds us, the USA is blessed
to have liberty, or freedom, in many areas of life, and one of her great goals
is to have equal justice for all. True liberty and justice are possible only
through our Lord Jesus Christ, once we have trusted in His death, burial and
resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John
14:6).
Isaiah prophesied that through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ would proclaim liberty to those held captive by sin, death,
and hell, and that He would open the prison doors of all those enslaved (Isaiah
61:1). How was this possible? The Son of God, God Himself, came in the
flesh and died as the perfect, sinless, atoning sacrifice to pay in full the
penalty of our sins, reconciling sinful man to Holy God (Romans 3:25;
5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
He then rose again on the third day, so that all who trust
Him would find perfect liberty in Him (2 Corinthians 3:17), meaning
eternal life in Heaven (John 3:16) as well as abundant life on
Earth (John 10:10), beginning at the moment of salvation. We are
not to insult His precious gift of liberty by becoming legalistic (Galatians
5:1), thinking that we can add to His completed work on the cross (Hebrews
10:10) through religious rituals or good deeds (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Nor should we restrict the freedom of others to worship and serve Him according
to their unique personalities, talents and preferences, provided they are not
in conflict with His Word, for He created and gifted each of us for His
specific purpose (Ephesians 2:10).
God is perfectly holy, just and righteous, and fairly
administers justice equally to all people. God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19;
Titus 1:2); He is all-knowing (Psalm 139:6); and Jesus
Christ is Truth personified (John 14:6). His justice is therefore
perfect, yet tempered by mercy (Psalm 89:14). Perfect peace,
judgment and justice await Christ’s reign in the Millennial Kingdom and will
continue forever (Isaiah 9:7).
The apostle Paul tells us that God considers all His children who have trusted His Son Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior to be equal in Him, regardless of race, nationality, sex, or social status (Galatians 3:28), and James and Peter write that God is no respecter of persons, meaning that He loves and judges all fairly and equally (James 2:1,9; 1 Peter 1:17).
Thanks to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, all who
trust Him can have true liberty from the penalty of sin, which is death and eternal
punishment in hell. He satisfied the judgment for our sin required by His perfectly
holy, just Father. He will reign one day in perfect justice.
Praise God that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, so that all
who trust Him can experience true liberty in Heaven from even the presence of
sin! Our glorified bodies will live forever with Him and with our loved ones in
Him, without aging, death, pain, sorrow or sin!
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