Unalienable Rights

The Preamble

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Since it is Independence Day I thought we would start by reading from a passage from something different. The Preamble to the Declaration of Independence

"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."

You and I have a Christian worldview so we tend to look at history through the lens of that worldview.

I immediately pick up on the word Creator and draw some conclusions. And I don’t draw those conclusions in a bubble. We live in a country that has been greatly influenced by Christianity. It seems reasonable that our founding fathers had Christianity in mind as the Declaration of Rights was being penned.

But when I read this I run into a little bit of a problem. I can only know for sure, what truths are God’s truths but what I read in my Bible. And when I read that there are truths endowed by the creator: That all men are created equal, that we have rights such as Life, Liberty and The pursuit of Happiness; I have to, because I look at everything from a Christian worldview-- look back to scripture as the place of origin for these rights.

But looking at scripture; it is hard to find clear teaching on any of these things.

So in this message entitled ‘Unalienable Rights’ I want for us to consider this founding document of our country in light of a much more heavily binding writing. The Word of God.

Pray

The Source

Tension

The Real Inspiration

Jefferson and the other founding fathers were inspired more by the writings of the English philosopher John Locke than they were scripture. And I don’t want to downplay this too much. We are indebted in this country to the ideas of Locke and his influence during the conception of our democratic government.

John Locke spoke of Natural Rights in his writings. The politicians that they were, the writers of the Deceleration began the tradition of pandering to the religious by terming it as “Rights endowed by the Creator”

Jefferson’s Christianity

I am saying that a bit tongue in cheek. The reality is that they all believed in a creator God, unfortunately many of them held views like Jefferson that while there was a God there were no supernatural events or interferences by God into the goings on of humanity.

Jefferson took it so far that he crafted his own version of the Bible, taking a knife to scripture and removing portions he found unpalatable such as miracles and the resurrection.

Thomas Jefferson even wrote this:

“I should proceed to a view of the life, character, & doctrines of Jesus, who sensible of incorrectness of their ideas of the Deity, and of morality, endeavored to bring them to the principles of a pure deism.”

Jefferson was inspired by the moral teachings of Christ, any recognition that Jesus Christ is God was beyond him.

Locke’s Philosophy

The philosophy for government that the founders were inspired by, like I had mentioned earlier, came largely from the writings of John Locke.

Locke started to wonder how people would act if they weren’t ruled by government. -- He concluded that they would take over a few city blocks and cover it with Graffiti and destroy property. — Not exactly.

No, Locke said that they would seek certain things for themselves. They would work to preserve their lives. They would seek freedom, or Liberty for themselves. And, they would pursue happiness.

There were other things they would also pursue. Revenge, Justice, Imprisonment of their enemies. According to Locke people enter into a social contract to create a government by giving some of their rights to the government to enforce and to make sure that their rights don’t infringe upon the rights of others.

If the government tread upon natural rights too much, the people would revolt and overthrow the government. Something that was also considered a natural right.

In the Bible?

Truth

Equality

Animal Farm

In his book Animal Farm, George Orwell told a cautionary tale about the evils of communism. Using barn yard animals and having the pigs rule the government. The pigs say “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

The Preamble builds on the foundation that all men were created equal.

It is an odd statement when you consider how many of the founding fathers owned slaves. The subject of slavery was controversial and even Jefferson who owned slaves considered adding a condemnation of slavery into the declaration. The fear was that the declaration wouldn’t be ratified if it included anti slavery language. The hope was that this phrase, that all men were created equal, would at some point lead to the end of slavery.

The abolitionist Thomas Day wrote, in 1776, the same year the declaration was signed:

"If there be an object truly ridiculous in nature, it is an American patriot, signing resolutions of independency with the one hand, and with the other brandishing a whip over his affrighted slaves."

Equality in Scripture

But is this something that we cite from scripture. Can we find a teaching of Jesus somewhere or a proverb that informs us of this truth?

Well, not directly, but it is clear God isn’t drawing the same distinctions between people that are often drawn by men. Col 3:11 reads:

Colossians 3:11 KJV 1900

Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

We could argue that some people are born with higher IQ’s or are physically more blessed than others but that isn’t how God see’s us. God sees no difference in peoples, and at a time when racism has been a hot topic this should be the final word.

Life

But what of the rights? The first mentioned is the right to life.

In Genesis 4:10 Cain had slayed Abel and God addresses Cain in Gen 4:10

Genesis 4:10 KJV 1900

And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Murder is such an egregious sin against God that it calls up to God. In Numbers instruction is given on how a society should deal with murderer’s

Numbers 35:30–33 KJV 1900

Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

God instructs that righteousness demand the life of a murderer, and no satisfaction, meaning no bribe or fine or payment will substitute for that life.

Abortion

Unfortunately we can’t discuss the right to life in today without including the topic of abortion.

I had a conversation with a friend of mine a while back. He is a Catholic and a democrat, and one of the few people that I feel like I can have a civil political disagreement with. I had to admit that I agreed with a lot of his points and a lot of his concerns over the current administration, but at the end of the day I end up becoming a single issue voter.

Pslam 139:14 says:

Psalm 139:14 KJV 1900

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.

God says to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5

Jeremiah 1:5 KJV 1900

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Here is my problem: If I believe that abortion is murder. What kind of monster would I be to support abortion? You can’t make a reasonable claim that you personally think it is wrong but politically think it should be permissible. And if we truly believe that there almost 900,000 murders of innocent children be sanction by our government, every year how can that not be our number one issue? I am not telling you how to vote, but for me I can say this. I would compromise on almost every other political position that I hold, I would give up all of my rights but that of freedom to worship my God, if this systematic murder of babies would end. And end the crying out to God of the blood of the 900,000 babies aborted in this country each year. 50 Million worldwide.

Additional

There are so many places we could turn to in scripture where we find that God places a high value on life. From David being given showbread to eat to points in the law, proverbs and psalms that we could easily spend the rest of this message focused on just this one point. But we have to look as well at Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Liberty

American

I looked up the word “Liberty” in the 1828 Webster’s dictionary thinking it is as close to a 1776 definition as I was going to find. The first entry reads that Liberty is:

Freedom from restraint, in a general sense, and applicable to the body, or to the will or mind. The body is at liberty when not confined; the will or mind is at liberty when not checked or controlled. A man enjoys liberty when no physical force operates to restrain his actions or volitions.

We have an unfortunate history in this country. For our first 89 years as a nation we tolerated the British tradition of slave labor.

Biblical

Exodus 21 is where we get most of our biblical understanding on slavery and Many people like to take Exodus 21:20-21 out of context

Exodus 21:20–21 KJV 1900

And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished. Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

And so the argument goes that the God of Christianity condones the beating of slaves so long as they don’t die. But they fail to continue reading, and they fail to consider the implications.

Exodus 21:26–27 KJV 1900

And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake. And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.

The point that is being made is that yes, slaves could be had. Slavery was the wellfare system of the ancient world. But God set laws so that if a slave owner treated a slave poorly that they would face consequences. The talmud later built on this understanding that slaves should receive the same food as the master and were mostly treated like family in many matters.

If we look back in Exodus 21 just a little we read in v16

Exodus 21:16 KJV 1900

And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

You have to understand that slaves in God’s economy were either slaves voluntarily, slaves because of debt or they were prisoners of war where the options were slavery or death, most preferred slavery. For those who were slaves out of a financial hardship, they worked 6 years and then were freed in the 7th year. And God says that they weren’t to just be sent out with no means

Deuteronomy 15:14–15 KJV 1900

Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.

Pursuit of Happiness

And then we come to the pursuit of happiness. When John Locke wrote of Life and Liberty, he typically included Property as the 3rd right of nature. Jefferson chose to write ‘the Pursuit of Happiness’ This is also and idea form John Locke who wrote:

The necessity of pursuing happiness [is] the foundation of liberty.  As therefore the highest perfection of intellectual nature lies in a careful and constant pursuit of true and solid happiness; so the care of ourselves, that we mistake not imaginary for real happiness, is the necessary foundation of our liberty. The stronger ties we have to an unalterable pursuit of happiness in general, which is our greatest good, and which, as such, our desires always follow, the more are we free from any necessary determination of our will to any particular action, and from a necessary compliance with our desire, set upon any particular, and then appearing preferable good, till we have duly examined whether it has a tendency to, or be inconsistent with, our real happiness: and therefore, till we are as much informed upon this inquiry as the weight of the matter, and the nature of the case demands, we are, by the necessity of preferring and pursuing true happiness as our greatest good, obliged to suspend the satisfaction of our desires in particular cases.

We read in several Psalms that God provides opportunity for joy and rejoicing

Psalm 19:8 KJV 1900

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Psalm 16:8–11 KJV 1900

I have set the Lord always before me: Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: My flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

God wants us to have happiness, but over and over again we find that happiness is found in our relationship with God.

A New Testament Twist

Laying that foundation I want you to consider this. John Locke when he established the natural rights also developed this idea of a consent to be governed. Essentially that in a civil society we enter into what he called a social contract where we concede some of our rights to the government in order to have a functioning society.

Here is what we have to come to. Each and every of the rights the the Preamble of the Constitution says are unalienable. We must be sacrifice to follow Christ.

Life

The Constitution says that we have the right to life.

Matthew 10:39 KJV 1900

He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Matthew 16:24–26 KJV 1900

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

See to follow Christ we must be willing to give up control of our lives to him.

Liberty

The Constitution tells us we have the right Liberty but Romans 6:22 says this of our liberty

Romans 6:22 KJV 1900

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

We are servants of God..Duolos in the Greek. We have it translated servants in our bible because the translators were concerned that the concept of slavery was too negative for people to get the meaning. But it means that we are slaves to God. And this is the only way you can become a Christian, it is to submit yourself to slavery under a new Lord. Romans 10:9 says

Romans 10:9 KJV 1900

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

That we confess Jesus as Lord. Kurios. Which translates in other places, owner or mater.

Pursuit of Happiness

And finally of the pursuit of Happiness. 2 Timothy 2:4 says

2 Timothy 2:4 KJV 1900

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

I’m not going to say that God wants us to be somber and unhappy at all times, or that the only joy we are aloud to experience is Joy related to spiritual things. I don’t think we have the Bible to back that up. But I will say that Paul speaks of Timothy’s work as that of a soldier. There is a time for battle and a time for R&R in the life of a soldier, and just like the soldier if a Christian’s desire for the comforts of the world distract from the mission of Christ they will be ineffective and displeasing to their commander.

A Christian Perspective

I am extremely grateful to the work of our founding fathers. And I am extremely grateful to the ideas and thoughts of men like John Locke who were the architects of what we define as political freedom. But if we were to consider first the willing sacrifice we gave to God of our lives, I wonder if we would be as upset with the way things are going in the world today. I wonder how focused we would be in making sure our rights weren’t violated.

At the end of the day, the best freedom our country can offer is freedom to be slaves to sin.

John 8:36 KJV 1900

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

In defending our liberties we should look to what Paul says in Gal 5:1

Galatians 5:1 KJV 1900

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

And we should be more concerned with being enslaved by the yoke of bondage of sin than anything threatened by the government. The government can never take away the freedom we have being slaves to Christ.

In all of the craziness that is going on in this country, in all of the talks about freedoms being taken away. I am not saying that you shouldn’t be concerned about the eroding of of freedoms in this country. But as Christians lets first make a priority the sacrifice of our rights to Christ before we concern ourselves with the preserving of rights from our government. I think we would be more tempered as we engage our neighbors and our culture if we did so from the humble position that we are owed nothing, and all is Christ’s. Why don’t you make a commitment to take that position right now if you haven’t already.

There is a good chance that your peace has been stolen from you in the last few months. Might I suggest that you were looking for peace in the wrong place if that is the case. I remember as much younger man staring at myself in the mirror with loathing and a heart in turmoil. And I remember that time that came when I gave all to Christ, and the peace that filled my soul after that. If you don’t know that peace I talking about, I’d love to spend a some time with you after the message and I can share from experience what it is to be free indeed. It’s a great thing, and an eternal thing and I hope you aren’t missing it.