The Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness

Luke 4:18

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

In the United States, it is our heritage that the freedom we declared some 241 years ago was based on both religious and political causes.  As a nation we are unique in the dual celebration of these closely tied liberties.

When Thomas Jefferson and our forefathers penned the words of the Declaration of Independence, they recognized certain God-given, “inalienable” rights.  Three are mentioned specifically: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Today, Americans’ understanding of these rights has diminished.  At the time of the Declaration of Independence, these rights carried great political and also great spiritual meaning.  If we want the God of the Bible to be the God of this nation, then we must realize what our founding fathers understood.  We must know with great certainty that true life, liberty and happiness can only found in Jesus Christ.

Let’s consider these inalienable rights:

Life

Jesus said, in no uncertain terms, “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6   In other words, real, lasting life can only be experienced through Jesus Christ!

Apart from Jesus Christ, this life is no life at all.  The founders our nation understood that and believed it. Unless we believe in Him and commit our lives into His hands then this life has no real purpose or meaning.  Our earliest settlers were people who came here primarily looking for religious freedom.  Other nations, for the most part, came into existence by conquest for selfish and ambitious motives.  But it was primarily in the atmosphere of God, not gold, that America was born.

Liberty

The Statue of Liberty stands across from the Island of Manhattan in New York.  Soldiers, on their return from overseas, often speak in awe of the feelings they had as they sailed into the harbor and viewed the “Torch of Freedom” in Lady Liberty’s hand.  To the Christian, the Statue of Liberty and the Cross of Jesus Christ have kindred meanings.  Both symbolize the highest and noblest in freedom and liberty.  Both stand as beautiful and glorious symbols of a liberated people.

Jesus came into our world on a mission of liberty.  He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18

Happiness

Psychologists tell us that people need three things to make them happy: (1) something to do, (2) someone to love, and (3) something to look forward to.  Jesus gives us all three. 

Jesus gave us something to do, saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do.” John 14:12  Jesus gave us someone to love, saying, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23  And Jesus gave us something to look forward to, saying, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:2  Only in Jesus can Americans, or anybody else, find genuine, lasting happiness.

Indeed on this day, let us declare that “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”  Let us confirm that this is only possible through Jesus Christ.  Let us celebrate that these liberties are still available to us in this great nation.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessings that You have poured out on our nation.  We exalt the name of Jesus who is the foundation for the inalienable rights that we have been provided through Him.  We pray that You raise up a new awakening of our trust in You.  May our laws and our lifestyles come into alignment with Your laws and Your Holy Word.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Liberator, Jesus Christ.