Sunday, July 3, 2022

Declaration of Independence

 "We do not maintain our rights merely because of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, or even the Bill of Rights. The reason for this is that these documents can be changed by man as circumstances change.
Whenever a threat to the safety of a
nation becomes a reality, the rights of the citizens are diminished for the sake of security.
It is God who has given the
rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” not only to Americans, but to all men. 
 
 The Declaration contains five references to God:
• as
Creator of all men
• as supreme Lawmaker

• as the Source of all rights

• as the world’s supreme Judge

• as our Protector on whom we
can rely.
 
There can be no doubt that our forefathers acknowledged God as the Author of their inalienable natural rights. In the Declaration’s last section (made up of one sentence consisting of 158 words) we find an appeal to God: “WE, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in GENERAL CONGRESS, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the
Rectitude of our Intentions ...
Provisions in the Declaration of Independence (and later in the amendments to the Constitution) reflect the truth of the creation of man in God’s image
Consider the first self-evident truth set forth in the Declaration of
Independence,
that all humans are created equal and woman on planet Earth. This equality is illustrated in the creation of the woman from the man’s side. 
When Adam fell these rights were diminished greatly in mankind.
However, God was not caught off
guard. His plan of redemption was put into effect immediately. Th at plan was simply the carrying out of God’s original plan—that man should be His image. Christ was “slain from the foundation of the world” in the promise of God (Rev. 13:8; Gen. 3:15). He would be sent “in the fullness of time as universal Savior of this fallen world (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14) to save the race from eternal ruin and to restore the basic natural rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” irrespective of one’s belief or lack thereof.
Because man lost his ability to control himself, law enforcing governments were instituted to control those who desire to harm others (see Rom. 13:1-7)." 
 Gerald Finneman/GladTidings