Freedom with no boundaries is chaos. Freedom under governmental law and order is dependent upon respect for others and for civilization. Freedom under faith is driven by love – love of God, love of country and love of others.

As we celebrate our nation’s 248th birthday, it is encouraging to reflect on the faith of the founding fathers and how their faith proved foundational for the birth of our constitutional republic. This comes through in the Declaration of Independence with wording such as, “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,” 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.” The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence stood for freedom under their faith, conveying a love for God, country and the people.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. – Hebrews 11:1-2. Chapter 11 is known as the “faith” chapter of the New Testament. The writer of Hebrews documents the faith journey of a number of Biblical characters, including Abraham, Noah, Moses and others. In his Truth for Life devotion book, as commentary on this passage, Alistair Begg writes, “If we want to follow their example of a living, lived-out faith, we need first to see what the faith of these individuals was not. It was not a warm, fuzzy feeling deriving from emotion or circumstances, nor was it a vague notion that everything would just work out in the end. No, for these men and women, faith in practice meant believing what God had said, taking Him at His word, and then regulating their lives accordingly. … Their faith was a deep-seated trust not in their circumstances in the present but in the One who had made promises about their future. ... an assurance that God’s promises were able to bear the weight of their hopes and a steady conviction that what God had said was as real as what they could see.” History reflects that the signatories of the Declaration of Independence did indeed believe what God had said, took Him at His word and regulated their lives accordingly to birth a new nation, the United States of America. The call to dads and moms this 4th of July is to provide perspective for the next generation and pass on the unique concept of freedom under faith.

Tips to convey perspective for freedom under faith:

• Read Hebrews 11 together as a family;
• Discuss the freedom each Biblical character enjoyed;
• Read the Declaration of Independence as a family;
• Discuss the faith component that Thomas Jefferson incorporated in its writing;
• Research the signatories for how their lives and fortunes were impacted;
• Read the Constitution together as a family;
• Discuss the Bill of Rights and the states’ concerns with federal government.

Prayer guide: Thank You Lord for Your Word and the foundation it provided for the birth of this nation. I confess I have taken freedoms for granted and failed to convey the connection between my love for You and love for this nation under You. Forgive me. An understanding of and appreciation for freedom under faith is to be passed on from generation to generation. I commit to have family discussion time across this long weekend to help convey the unique concept of freedom under faith in this great nation. That is the dad You call me to be and that is the dad my kids need to see. Amen.

A faithful father lives into and conveys the unique concept of freedom under faith.