June 30, 1999
GRACE & PEACE:
On this Independence Day,
thank God for liberty
___"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1).
___Bobbie, my wife, and I lived for a year in Scotland, where she taught school. Part of the curriculum included the American Revolution. After she finished teaching the unit, using materials collected from the U.S. Embassy, the students exclaimed, "Please, miss, we have never heard it that way before!"
___How have you "heard" the story of the American Revolution? One of the least-mentioned aspects of the revolution is the part Baptists played in it. Not a single Baptist could be found on the list of those who fought on the side of the King of England; the Baptists were all "patriots," joining in the fight for independence from England.
WILLIAM M. PINSON JR.
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
___One reason Baptists sided with those who fought against England was their belief in religious freedom and separation of church and state. England had an established state church, the Church of England, of which the king was the head. Those not part of the Church of England suffered persecution and were denied freedom of religious expression. Baptists insisted that Christ only was King and Lawgiver for the churches.
___Baptists hoped that by throwing off the rule of England the yoke of the government-supported Church of England also would be cast aside and people in the colonies that became the United States of America would enjoy freedom of religion. When the revolution was won, Baptists were disappointed because in most of the colonies state-supported churches continued to exist, and without separation of church and state, there was no real religious freedom.
___When the Constitutional Convention was called to draft the U.S. Constitution under which we now live, Baptists petitioned George Washington and others to write into the Constitution a guarantee of religious freedom. This was not done, and Baptists and others launched a campaign against the ratification of the Constitution unless provision was made for religious freedom. The secular leaders agreed that if the Baptists and others would support ratification, an amendment would be drafted to guarantee religious freedom. Thus, the First Amendment was made part of the Constitution as one of the Bill of Rights. Thus Independence Day ought to have special significance for Baptists.
___Another even more important Independence Day is celebrated by every one who has been set free from the power and penalty of sin by faith in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for forgiveness of sin. We have been set free--free not simply to enjoy freedom, but free to help free others through sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ.
___When we gather to worship, we ought never take for granted the freedom that makes such worship possible--freedom bought with the blood of Christ from the power of sin and freedom bought with the blood of Baptists and others from the power of a state church.
___Please pray in thanksgiving for the "liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free." Pray we will ever be vigilant to maintain the freedom of religion that is ours, made possible at great price. And pray we will use our freedom to help free others through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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