The Declaration of Independence: A Christian Document

THE REAL AMERICA MINUTE: Month Four

The Declaration of Independence: A Christian Document, By Rick Porterfield

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free." — Galatians 5:1

On July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress approved a document that would change the world.

They weren't approving a petition. They were committing treason. Under British law, what they were doing carried one penalty: death.

But they approved it anyway. Why? Because the Declaration of Independence wasn't just a political protest. It was a statement about God.

Four References That Form a Complete Theology

The Declaration mentions God four times. And here's something many people don't know: those four references aren't random. Congress carefully edited the Declaration for two days before approving it — and every one of those references to God remained in the document.

These references actually form a complete and intentional theology of liberty. Let me show you.

The first reference is to "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God." That's God as Lawgiver — establishing the moral order that governs nations.

The second reference says that all men are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." That's God as Creator — granting rights that governments cannot take away.

The third reference says the founders are "appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world." That's God as Judge — holding nations accountable for justice.

The fourth reference says they are doing this "with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence." That's God as Providence — actively guiding history.

Now look at how these fit together.

God gives the law that governs nations. God as Creator gives human beings their rights. God as Judge holds nations accountable to the moral law He established. God as Providence works in history toward His ultimate purposes without removing human choice.

That's a theological argument. The founders were saying something profound: The entire framework of American liberty only works if God is real, because the rights it protects come from Him.

Think about it.

If there's no Lawgiver, there's no moral law above governments. If there's no Creator, then rights come from the king or state — and the state can take them back. If there's no Judge, tyranny has no restraint. If there's no Providence, history is random and hope is impossible.

The entire foundation of American liberty depends on God being who the Bible says He is. Without that, the Declaration itself falls apart.

One Word That Reveals Everything

Here's something else most Americans don't know. Thomas Jefferson originally wrote that men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, "that among these are Life, Liberty, and Property." That was his original word choice. It came from John Locke, a political philosopher.

But Congress changed one word. They replaced "property" with "the pursuit of happiness."

Why does that matter? Because "happiness" in 1776 didn't mean feeling good. It meant the freedom to live a good, moral life — to raise families, worship God, build communities, and pursue what is right.

The founders were saying: Government should protect more than your possessions. It should protect your freedom to live a meaningful, fulfilling, and moral life under God.

That's a moral view of liberty rooted in the belief that human beings are created by God.

What the Founders Believed

Jefferson later explained what they were doing: "This was the object of the Declaration of Independence — not to find out new principles, but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject."

Jefferson understood: These truths already existed because God established them. They weren't inventing rights. They were simply recognizing what God had already given — and stating it for all to see.

Benjamin Franklin understood the risk. At the signing, he said: "We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." Under British law, they were committing treason. The penalty was death.

John Adams later reflected on what made independence possible: "The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity." Adams understood: The Declaration was built on a biblical worldview.

What It Cost Them

The British knew what the Declaration said. Every man who signed knew exactly what he was risking — and some paid dearly.

Men like Francis Lewis of New York. British soldiers destroyed his home and captured his wife. She was imprisoned and never fully recovered.

And men like John Hart, a farmer from New Jersey. When the British learned Hart had signed the Declaration, they came for him. His home was raided. His property destroyed. His family forced to flee.

For months, John Hart lived in the woods and in caves, hiding from soldiers who wanted to capture him and hang him. At one point, he slipped out of hiding to stand in the distance at his wife's funeral. He couldn't come close because British soldiers were searching for him. He watched his wife buried... from the woods.

All because he had signed that document in an attempt to secure the freedom we have today.

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The One Thing to Remember

Why would wealthy, successful men risk everything? Why would they sacrifice their homes, their fortunes, their families?

Because they believed something greater than government had already given them their freedom.

The Declaration of Independence is not a secular document. It's built on the truth of the God of the Bible: God establishes the moral law — His Word is truth. God creates human beings with dignity and rights. God judges nations. God works in the affairs of men throughout history.

And with those truths being real — and God being who the Bible says He is — then no king, no government can take away what God has given, try as they might.

That's why they signed. It wasn't safe and it wasn't for personal gain. It was because they believed their rights came from the Creator.

And they were willing to die rather than surrender what God had given.

Because what God gives, no government has the right to take.

That's why I'm doing The Real America Minute every month. Not to shout at the darkness — but to turn on the light. 

— Pastor Rick

© 2026 Rick Porterfield