“For freedom Christ freed us. Stand fast therefore and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

— Galatians 5:1

In 1776, fifty-six men, representing three million people, voted to adopt one of the most revolutionary documents in history: the Declaration of Independence. If the fledgling colonies succeeded in defending themselves from the most powerful nation on earth, it was worth the risk. If they failed, these fifty-six men were signing their death warrants.

The level of the signers’ commitment and their willingness to sacrifice in order to secure liberty under God’s law is evident in the final words of their declaration: “And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

They trusted in God and laid it all on the line. It will take courage, sacrifice, and, above all, trust in the Lord to turn things around in this country.

The late Dr. M. E. Bradford of the University of Dallas researched the founding fathers, including the Christian commitments of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He concluded that of the fifty-six men who signed the nation’s birth certificate, definitely fifty, maybe fifty-two, were Trinitarian Christians. Other scholars note that 29 of them had the equivalent of seminary degrees.

Paul Johnson, author of A History of the American People, says, “There is no question that the Declaration of Independence was, to those who signed it, a religious as well as a secular act…” Thank God for our freedom, which was bought by God and by their sacrifice.

Thank You, God, for this nation and the freedom secured for us by the signers of the Declaration of Independence. May we always depend on You and Your Providence. Help us, Lord, to do our part to work toward renewal of this great country…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN PLEDGE TO HIM OUR
LIVES, OUR FORTUNES, AND OUR SACRED HONOR.