OP-ED: IT WAS WRITTEN FOR YOU
By Van Yandell
Has anything ever been done especially for you? Did it make you feel special, important, or that you really meant something, or to someone?
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, assisted by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston and declared the separation of the United States (13 colonies) from Britain. The declaration was adopted July 4, 1776.
It was signed August 2, 1776 by fifty of the fifty-six signers. The other six signed later that year. Those men signing knew they may be signing their own death warrants because the signing was considered treason by the British crown. This fact alone makes a statement as to their sincerity and determination.
The first paragraph reads as follows: “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.”
The second paragraph begins with, “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.”
The Declaration listed twenty-seven violations of humanity by King George. Freedoms of the people of the colonies were virtually none and the oppression of the king was beyond reason.
The separation from Britain became vital. The king was imposing on the colonists the oppression they had come to the new world to escape.
The Revolutionary War began April 19, 1775 with the battles of Lexington and Concord. The war ended officially September 3, 1783 at the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
About 6,800 colonists soldiers died in battle and another 17,000 died of diseases or froze to death. Losses on the British side are unclear but one estimate is that as many as 24,000 died.
The Constitution of the United States was written over a four month period in 1787, four years after the end of the war. It was written to protect the people, not the government.
The Constitution separates the government into three branches thus establishing a system of accountability and checks and balances. The citizens have the power of the ballot box to control the politicians. They represent the people.
The three branches of government are the executive (president and cabinet), the legislative (house and senate), and the judicial (supreme court). As long as those adhere to the Constitution the purposes determined by the founding fathers will prevail.
The Constitution is preceded by a preamble. Being a brief statement of purpose, the preamble should be memorized by all; including those in government positions.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
We must never forget the revolutionary soldiers that suffered and died; died for us! Those penning the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution wrote those for us; for the protection of American citizens.
A much older document (or series of documents/books) written for us is the Holy Bible. Many believe the Bible was written by men and they were inspired by our Creator God.
The Bible contains sixty-six books (thirty-nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New Testament) written by over forty men over a period of 1600 years. In three languages, Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic, the Bible is mostly consistent in its teachings.
Even with these differences in language, time span and writers; the eternal salvation teachings are totally consistent.
The Bible teaches there is only one eternal salvation. That is by a faith based belief (Ephesians 2: 8) that Christ Jesus was crucified (Matthew 27: 35) for the remission of sin (Romans 4: 25), resurrected (Matthew 28: 6) and ascended alive into Heaven (Acts 1: 9).
Romans 15: 4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
It is such a great honor and privilege to know that our Creator provided us with a book that is in its entirety, a set of instructions for our existence. I will continue to believe one reason for the chaos in the world is because the people of the world do not consider God’s rules.
The Apostle Paul wrote 1900 years ago a description of mankind that definitely applies in today’s world. 2 Timothy 3: 1-5 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
Those that govern, citizens and non-believers alike, must pay attention to these characteristics of mankind. Those words of God and Paul paint a perfect picture of the world today. Isaiah 5: 20a also makes a connected statement, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil”
Both individually and collectively, we are a very blessed people. To have a Constitution and a Holy Bible to guide our lives, our goal must be to follow these instructions issued centuries ago by men and God. They were written for us!
Van Yandell is a retired Industrial Arts teacher, an ordained gospel evangelist and missionary. His email is vmy3451@gmail.com