Unite for Life, Liberty, and Love

by Sally Matheny

Unite for Life, Liberty, and Love

This July 4, 2017, my rally cry is for Americans to unite.

It is understandable for those who do not have Christ living within them to be shackled by the ways of the world. But Christian brothers and sisters, we have a higher calling from the Creator of the world.

With a devotion first to God, we can come together as a country.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the  Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

We are to unite as brothers, regardless of bloodlines, property lines, or political lines. But always speak the truth of God’s word.

“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. . . that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—“   -Ephesians 4:17-15 (NKJV)

Following the command to love one another also means loving those who are considered our adversaries. Remember the words of Jesus Christ, 

“ You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:43-48 (NKJV)

We can renew our commitment to our country by standing for justice, according to God, the “Supreme Judge of the World."

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—“-   excerpt from The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

We can teach the next generation how those, who came before us, while holding various viewpoints, still worked together to form a great nation.

Fighting complacency, we must persevere to safeguard our freedoms. Remind tomorrow’s leaders in whom the wise leaders of yesteryear relied upon.

“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.”-      excerpt from The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Who today pledges their lives and fortunes to one another? Who understands the meaning of sacred honor?

Only those who truly rely on God.

Christians, let us unite so we can share the freedom of Christ and preserve the freedom of our country.

“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13 (NKJV)