Independence

184 years ago Charles Carroll’s life changed by remarkable circumstances. Charles Carroll was a retired senator from his home state Maryland, a former member of the Continental Congress and one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. On July 4th, 1826 both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died within hours of one another leaving Carroll the sole surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence. How remarkable that the only two signers of the Declaration that became president of the United States would die on the 50th year celebration of our nation’s birth and independence from British rule! Adams and Jefferson had recently renewed their friendship after years of bitter political dispute. Their correspondence reveals much about the advent of this new nation spurred by their pens. Both Adams and Jefferson were deist and thus would not acknowledge God’s hand in such remarkable history but one is hard put to not think that God orchestrated such remarkable circumstances.

The paradox is that this new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal regales independence including the amended right to speak freely against a God who calls us to submit to His will. The Bible speaks counter-culturally by soliciting servitude, submission and dependence on the divine lead. The Christian declaration is not for independence nor autonomy but to follow Jesus lead to empty ourselves and take on the nature of a servant (Phippians 2:5-8). Paul pleads with Ephesus to "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21)." Such malleable and humble spirits champion better familial relationships and cohesiveness of the body of Christ. Here is my fourth of July declaration of dependence for those who just want to be Christians:

1) We declare the we shall take seriously Paul’s challenge to "pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17)" so that we may never forget to put God first in all things!
2) We declare that "the first will be last and the last will be first" is not just a saying but call to have a servant’s heart in all we do or say!
3) We declare that in the body of Christ all "its parts should have equal concern for each other (1 Corinthians 12:25)."
4) We declare that the pursuit of happiness is not a inalienable right but a path to pleasing self by pleasing God!
5) And finally, we declare that we are solely, wholly and completely dependent on the God who created us in His image and redeemed us by the blood of His Son!

Happy Fourth of July Dependence! -DAN