Anyone who has grown up in this country, partaken of it’s great bounty and wealth, and enjoyed the blessings of freedom as we all have can’t help but spend part of this July 4th weekend thinking about the rich meaning of the ideals that gave birth to this very special nation.
The founding documents contain written evidence of the worshipful respect that the founders had for God, and it is everywhere apparent that America was founded as a Christian nation, by Christian men. While in that state, America has been richly blessed, no matter how the modern-day revisionists might try to rewrite history to prove otherwise.
The nation that we live in is rich in traditions that have kept the concept of freedom and liberty alive, even as we see the nation begin to fade before our eyes. When I was a small child, through at least the first 3 or 4 years of school, we began each day with a prayer, and then we all recited the Pledge of Allegiance with our right hands over our hearts like good little American boys and girls everywhere.
Now, I realize today that our true citizenship is with a King and a kingdom that is not of this world … so our spiritual allegiance shouldn’t be to any worldly flag. But there are some principles that even now can be applied to the greater heavenly kingdom and country that we are all here to seek. The last 10 words of the pledge (as it has been amended) read like this … “One nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.”
Our True Founders
Hebrews 11 tells us how Abraham, the father of the faithful, viewed his own citizenship while he was in the flesh. It also shows how God views those who earnestly desire that better country and kingdom, that is truly “under God, with liberty and justice for all.”
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. (Heb. 11:8-16)
A mission statement of sorts for one of the“founding fathers” (so to speak) of this heavenly country can be found in Isaiah 61. Christ, the King of our kingdom and country, used this to describe His own ministry in Luke 4:16-21, and here in the very first verse He was quoting we see this word … “Liberty!”
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound” (Is. 61:1)
And if we look back a few chapters to Isaiah 42:1-7, we can learn a bit more about the mission of the true Founders to the Kingdom of heaven. These verses are starred in my Bible as Messianic scriptures.
“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.” (Is. 42:1-7)
The Founders of the heavenly Kingdom have made it their business to finally bring real “liberty and justice for all” to humanity, even though we can look at conditions around us and wonder how They are ever going to do it with all that is transpiring in today’s world.
A New Country
And even as we study together here today, we can see how They are laying the groundwork for a worldwide revolution of sorts against the corruption and captivity of this present evil world. Some of my readers may remember a booklet published by the Worldwide Church of God entitled “A World Held Captive” and written by Herbert W Armstrong. This booklet showed how all humanity has been held in bondage by “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), the “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience ” (Eph. 2:2). Well, God is working in the world through His own Spirit in a group of human followers called out of this world to learn His vision of “liberty and justice for all.”
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. (2 Cor. 3:1-3)
God is writing the founding documents of His Kingdom on human hearts. Then Paul speaks of how the real truth has been hidden from the eyes of most of mankind.
Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Cor. 3:16-18)
These called-out people are being transformed into Him – and into He and his Father’s ideals, ways, and thoughts – so that when His time arrives, they will be ready to help lead the way to liberty and justice for all.
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Rom. 8:16-21)
Brethren, even with the highest of ideals all laid out on paper as a target, mankind has never even come close to providing the lofty goal of “liberty and justice for all,” even in one single nation. God and Jesus Christ will, with the establishment of the Kingdom of God, deliver the whole creation into the glorious liberty (and justice) of the children of God, and They are the ONLY ones who can. Not only that, but They will allow Their called out ones to assist Them in bringing that to all mankind. That provides us with a great incentive on this Independence Day weekend to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure.
Baptism For Life 