In the Beginning
by PASTOR MICHAEL CISLER
North Kent Bible Church
“When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. 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.”
Hopefully these words are familiar to you. They are the first two sentences of the Declaration of Independence. These words begin the document that marked the establishment of our great nation.
What great boldness and truth we find here. Notice in both sentences God is clearly spoken of as “nature’s God” and “Creator.” God is portrayed as the one who entitles one people to assume their separate and equal station among the powers of the earth. He is also the one who has endowed all men with certain unalienable rights. Our nation’s founders saw God as the one who has given us the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
This is in line with what the Bible says as well. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Also, the first part of Acts 17:28 says, “For in him we live and move and have our being.”
God is our Creator and we have our existence and unalienable rights because of Him.
We are blessed to live in a nation in which our founding fathers recognized God as Creator and giver of our rights. We are blessed to be able to follow their example in this and live by that same set of beliefs that they did.
Comments by our Readers