This weekend, we celebrate Independence Day.  On July 4, 1776, delegates from the thirteen colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson.  This document lays out 27 grievances against Great Britain resulting in the colonies’ decision to absolve all allegiance and political connections to the British Crown and its tyranny and declaring themselves to be independent states. 

It is considered the birth of the United States of America and the freedom that we now enjoy.  It began a new government that put in place many measures to prevent tyranny by establishing three distinct branches of power guided by a simple, but incredibly powerful document; the constitution of the United States of America.

Just last weekend, our family spent some time in Philadelphia and Valley Forge experiencing firsthand where many of the events of the founding of this nation began.  We saw the very weapons used, read the personal journal entries from those involved, walked through the buildings and grounds where it all took place. 

We were amazed by the courage and sacrifice that so many made to participate in the following war for this freedom and the nearly impossible odds that they faced to win that victory.

Only 250 years later, these sacrifices have produced one of the greatest nations on the face of the earth!  We have been blessed with so many civil freedoms that many right now across the earth are being denied.  We’re not a perfect nation, but as the founding fathers wrote, they certainly formed a more perfect union!

Any government established by humans and operated by humans will never be perfect.  Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence lays a foundation defining that governments are instituted to secure the unalienable rights that we are endowed with by our Creator which include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  These governments derive their power by the consent of those who are governed by it and warned that they should not be changed for light and transient causes.

Our nation’s leaders today continue to struggle to ensure the rights of all people groups without also infringing on the rights of others.  It’s an incredibly difficult balance to maintain!  In our constitutional republic, we have the opportunity to be a voice into our government and to directly influence the decisions that are made and the laws that are legislated.  As Christians, we should speak up and take a stand to ensure that the government continues to protect and defend our rights.

There are plenty of scriptures that instruct us to do so, but one of my favorites is:

Psalm 119:45-47

45 I will walk about in freedom,

    for I have sought out your precepts.

46 I will speak of your statutes before kings

    and will not be put to shame,

47 for I delight in your commands

    because I love them.

From a Christian perspective, we have had a few huge wins as the Supreme Court decided to overturn the decision made 50 years ago with Roe v. Wade indicating that a right to abort the life of an unborn child is not protected by the constitution.  They also decided that a coach named Joseph Kennedy’s right to pray at the 50 yard line on the field after public school football games is protected by the constitution.

Here is where we begin to transition and where my personal, Biblically guided, perspective often becomes unpopular as a Christian living in the US.  As a follower of Christ, we have dual citizenship.  All of us sitting here this morning are citizens of the United States of America.  Those who have put their faith in Christ are also citizens of Heaven.  The USA is a constitutional republic, Heaven is a kingdom.

Biblically, this is evident as the apostle Paul claimed to be a Roman citizen (Acts 16,22) and claimed and leveraged all of the rights ensured him because of this status.  He also claimed to be a citizen of Heaven (Philippians 3).

We are incredible blessed to live in a n