This weekend, millions across our country will celebrate Independence Day. There will be family gatherings, picnics, fireworks, flag waving, and lots of red, white & blue to show our patriotism and relish the freedoms that our forefathers gained for us those many years ago. In that day, we declared our independence from tyranny, from a government that was self-serving and trampled on our God-given rights as individuals. They offered us protection, status, and an abundant supply of goods and trade in exchange for our autonomy, religious liberty, and slavery to overly burdensome taxes and regulations. The government that oppressed us did their best to keep us dependent on their protection, programs, and provision.

When our forefathers declared independence from this government, they knew that throwing off the bonds of tyranny would come at a price. Sure, it would require a fight and would cost lives and require much bloodshed, but while independence would mean freedom from oppression it would also require us as a people to become separated from those positive aspects of our relationship with England. By forming a new government that defended and protected individual and religious liberty, many of the government’s benefits would no longer be viable and individuals would be left to fend for themselves. This concept of the individual’s responsibility is inherent to a proper definition of independence. Independence would offer the individual freedom from some things and a new burden for others.

The founders understood how this new freedom would be a double-edged sword for the people of our nation. They knew that to have independence from government, we would need to become dependent on God. Now many of the founders of our nation had some belief in God (and many were born-again Christians as well). As such, we see evidence in many of our founding documents that point individuals to depend on God himself instead of their government. Perhaps nobody said it better than Francis Scott Key who, during America’s second war for independence, wrote these words as part of the little-known last verse of the Star-Spangled Banner: “Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto – ‘In God is our trust’”

Unfortunately, after more than 200 years, many Americans have lost this truth. They have reduced independence to only mean that they have the freedom to be who they want, marry who they want, smoke what they want, and live in hedonism, serving their own desires above all else. They have grown dependent on government to provide for them and have not yet been re-awakened to the truth that the government is not out for their best interest. If taxes, regulations, and mandates from our government weren’t enough to enslave us, we also willingly grow dependent on alcohol, drugs, recreation, relationships and all sorts of things to consume and control our decisions.

By contrast, the life of a Christian finds true freedom in Jesus Christ. He offers us something that neither government, alcohol, drugs, hedonism, or perverse relationships can ever offer. He tells us, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). In other words, He wants us to become independent of all that the world has to offer and become entirely dependent on Him. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (John 15:4). By grace through faith, Jesus offers us His own righteousness. We will not truly find freedom and independence as individuals until we depend wholly on Him.

So this fourth of July (and every day for that matter), celebrate the religious liberty and independence from tyranny that our country offers – choose to depend upon Jesus Christ. That will be something worth celebrating!