PRESENTER'S NOTES
Yesterday marked the 238th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. Millions of people celebrated this historic event with special outings, parades, and fireworks displays. On any other night of the week, I too would have gladly entered into the nighttime festivities to round out the celebration of our independence from other nations and revel in our relative freedoms. But, alas, I had a more important appointment to keep with God, so the bright colors and loud noises will be reserved for tonight, instead.
I want to read to you a brief excerpt from Wikipedia’s description of the Revolutionary War…
“The war had its origins in the resistance of many Americans to taxes imposed by the British parliament, which they held to be unlawful. Formal acts of rebellion against British authority began in 1774 when the Patriot Suffolk Resolves effectively abolished the legal government of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The tensions caused by this would lead to the outbreak of fighting between Patriot militia and British regulars at Lexington and Concord in April 1775. By spring 1776 the Patriots had seized full control in all thirteen colonies and on July 4, 1776, their Continental Congress declared independence.”
From this excerpt we realize that conflict actually began in 1775, and the Patriots actually gained control of all thirteen colonies by spring of 1776. It is from this series of victories and establishment of self-governance that the Declaration of Independence was born that summer.
Now that the United States had declared itself free and independent, was the fight over? Did the British just pack up their belongings and leave? NO! In fact, the British entered into a strategy to regain authority over all of the colonies, which led to further conflict that would last to varying degrees for more than seven more years, until an official treaty of peace was reached, September 3, 1783.
The United States of America had to fight for the right to be free. They had taken steps toward freedom and then officially declared their freedom to be an independent nation with it’s own ideals and laws.
At some point in the life of those being called out of this world by God, each must take steps toward freedom from a tyrant, then each, to be free, must declare independence from that tyrant. That tyrant’s name is SIN. But, for anybody who has already followed the process to recognize sin for what it is, to reject it, then declare independence from it, we are all too familiar with the fact that, daily, we are in a war to maintain that right of independence.
Our right is not inherent or inalienable, but it is a gift from God provided to us through the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ. Nevertheless, through Christ, it is a right as by faith we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). If we don’t fight for the right, we will lose it, because sin does not pack its belongings and go home. It is ever-present and ready to take advantage of people ill-prepared to fight.
Genesis 4: 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
So, what does it mean to fight for your right of independence from sin? How do we fight?
1. KNOW YOUR ENEMY - Don’t forget who is your enemy. The Patriots knew clearly who their enemy was and remained clear in this knowledge in their fight to remain free. In 1 John 3:4 sin is clearly stated as lawlessness, and we should know that though we are free in Christ, sin is ever at the door. And, because of this, we must know what sin is in all of its forms and disguises.
1 Corinthians 6: 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
2. REPEL YOUR ENEMY - Rejection must be ongoing, and God provides us the resources to stand against the foe. When we fail to repel the enemy, we must regroup and repent. Battles can be lost in a war and the war still won. In this world of wars, this is not always a guarantee, even if the will to win is present… reference Ecclesiastes 9:11… but with God, his soldiers are provided the equipment and a guaranteed victory in the end.
Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
3. GROW, MAINTAIN AND REVEAL YOUR IDEALS - The colonists had a set of ideals for which they were willing to die. If they had no standard to develop, live by, and share, their determination to overcome would have certainly waned. Sin cannot be repelled in a void. If we were to further study, today, Ephesians 6, which I just referenced, we would find that some of the elements for repelling sin are related to the knowledge, use, and sharing of God’s truth.
But, to simplify those details, let’s suffice it to say we must obey the commandments of God in heart and action.
1 Peter 1: 13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Brothers and sisters; friends, a day is coming when sin will be totally subdued, when, not only will the individual be able to declare freedom from sin in Christ, sin, and death will no longer be waiting at the door; the final enemy and consequence of sin will be destroyed, and the war will be over.
Let’s close with a scripture designed to encourage and assure those who would fight for the right (celebrate, but fight)…
Revelation 21: 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God, Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
