This is a guest article written by Stephen W. Diehl, the former pastor of Garden Hills Baptist Church in Champaign, IL.
“The Declaration of Independence, which touched off the American Revolution, closes with these words: ‘And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor’. But, where is the ‘firm reliance on . . . divine Providence’ in American life today?
A majority of Americans still call themselves Christians. Yet, most of these same Americans will not be found in a house of worship on any given Sunday. Only a tiny remnant of those who do attend on Sunday will return to a prayer meeting during the week.
How many of us who profess Christ truly rely on God in every area of our lives and schedules? Do we need a ‘Declaration of Dependence’? Here is my suggestion:
‘When in the course of spiritual events, God’s people find that the faith that shaped their nation is attacked and rejected; and when the churches that gave hope and stability to a struggling young country are cast out of meaningful participation in the culture; and when Christians have been lulled into a materialistic stupor to the point that there is no evidence of the power of God in their lives, it is time for us to admit that we have trusted in our own cleverness, organization, and wealth and have abandoned real dependence on God.
Desperately in need of the presence and power of God in our lives, our homes, our churches, and our nation, we now confess our prayerlessness, indifference, and self-centered living. Further, we purpose to return to God, seeking Him in the fear of the Lord, and trusting that He will forgive, cleanse, guide, and protect those who obey Christ. With renewed, sincere dependence on our Redeemer, we pledge to Him, and to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, our blood-bought lives, our God-given treasure, and our sacred honor as the children of the living God’.”
Would you dare to sign that? Would you dare to live that?
Bro. Dennis