John Hancock, Depend on God

"Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us." John Hancock.

Our dependence on God must be complete. We are to walk by faith, not by sight.

John Hancock's words came at a time when the impossible would soon be done. The United States of America would eventually win the war against the British and become its own nation. You cannot study the history of America and not recognize the faith of the majority of the people--a faith on a God who offered mankind freedom from the tyranny of sin.

While John Hancock's reference was specific to a fight for freedom from the British, each individual will be faced with a choice to be dependent upon God against the taxation of sin on his life or to continue under its tyranny.

Many died during the War of Independence for the freedom of the United States. Christ died for our freedom from sin.

Freedom comes with a price, and when we receive freedom, we set boundaries to maintain that freedom.

The founding fathers of our country established laws by which our country would be governed. Laws that would allow all men to retain certain unalienable rights.

When we, through faith, accept the freedom Christ gives us from our sins, we step across the line of living for the world, for our selves (in essence, being a servant to sin), to abide with Christ as new creatures.

We become dependent on God for all things. We become the servants of righteousness (Romans 6:18). He is our King, our Ruler, our Lord.

When the United States formed, the people living in this land became citizens of a new country and would now be subject to the laws and leadership of this new country.

When we confess our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for freedom from our sins, we become citizens of His eternal kingdom, subject to His leadership.

Romans 6:19 "I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness."

Are you depending on God to enable you to resist the tyranny of sin and nobly defend the right Christ gave you to live as citizens of His Kingdom, as servants to righteousness?