How Life, Liberty, & Happiness are Truly Found in Christ

written by Sam Guernsey & edited by Sam Boggs

On July 4th, 1776, the final wording of the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted by the Continental Congress. It was a document of rebellion, declaring that our nation’s founders would no longer be ruled by England’s King George III. Easily the most well-known passage in the Declaration of Independence, its preamble states in part:

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

Many people know that our founding fathers based much of our nation’s guiding literature and governing principles  on a Biblical foundation. But where exactly did these concepts come from? 

Life

Read John 10:10b & John 14:6

In Genesis 2:7 we see that God has the power to breathe life into us. He does this when He first begins to form us, knowing us even in our mothers’ wombs (Psalm 139:13; Jeremiah 1:5). He breathes life into us when we are saved, giving us eternal life through Jesus (John 3:16), and He wants to breathe into us new life every day by giving us new mercies every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). God freely provides the gift of life and it’s only in Him that we’re ever going to find it. In all stages of our existence, God wants to provide us true life in Him. He is powerful enough to bring us into being and He wants to sustain us, both physically and spiritually. 

Liberty

Read 2 Corinthians 3:17 & Romans 8:21

We are no longer bound by the law, but we have freedom granted to us because Christ fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17) & because we know the truth of the gospel (John 8:32). We even have the freedom to choose—something Adam and Eve possessed at the very beginning. Presented with options and entrusted with the right to make their own decisions (Genesis 2:16-17), they were never forced to live a certain way. Similarly, we can choose to serve God or to disobey Him. Galatians 5:13 tells us that we are not to use our liberty as an excuse to sin, but instead to treat it as an opportunity to love and serve others.

Pursuit of Happiness

Read Psalm 16:11 & 1 Corinthians 15:57

Pursuing God is our greatest happiness. Only in Him will we find complete contentment, joy, and victory (Philippians 4:11). Even in times of persecution, God promises we can find happiness in Him (1 Peter 3:14, 4:14). That’s not to say that life will be peaches all the time, but God provides for His children and wants you to find joy while serving Him!

The world has gotten its priorities all mixed up, saying life is something given and taken by the will of man. Liberties are things we have a right to do, no matter how our actions may affect others. Happiness comes from the simple accumulation of material things or from popularity. All these ideas lie in stark contrast to the picture God paints in Scripture of how He intended things. We’ve lowered our standards for ourselves and settled for cheapened ideas that society has sold us, but God has intended for us to have so much more. 

Our founding fathers understood God’s design for life, liberty, and happiness, and because of their diligence, America has no doubt enjoyed His blessing for many years. But where have we gone? This Independence Day, let’s remember that God is the only true Provider of our lives, our liberties, and, ultimately, our happiness—not us, not our jobs, and certainly not the government. If we as a nation turn our hearts back to our Creator and pray, then God will surely bless the United States of America once again.