LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

 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. 

                Pretty much every American recognizes the statement above. It was become a rally cry for any number of causes; often causes at odds with each other. There is great truth at the heart of this statement. Unfortunately, it has been so distorted that that truth has been lost.

                At the heart of this statement is the truth that all people are created equal. Ironically, when this statement was adopted, there was a large segment of people who were excluded, primarily blacks and Native Americans. The foundation for this statement comes right from the Bible. In Genesis 1 it states that all people are created in the image of God. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 (NIV) There are two essential truths here. First, we have been created by God. Second, we have been created by God to reflect His image in the world. This applies to all people.

                Because we were created by God in His image, we have certain “unalienable” rights; life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. If we examine each of these rights, we can see how they have been distorted and how God intended for them to be exercised.

                Everyone has the right to life. If seems clear and obvious, yet it isn’t honored. Just yesterday the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe vs. Wade, the case that allowed for legal abortion. Since that monumental ruling, millions of babies have been denied the right to life. On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who believe that when a person gets to a certain advanced age and they can no longer take care of themselves, that we should end their life.

                In contrast to this, Jesus offers a different path. In John 10:10 Jesus states, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. The life that Jesus offers is more than just physical life, it is life eternal. The life that Jesus offers cannot be taken away from a person. Because of eternal life, a person can live a full life in the here and now, without fear of the future.

                Everyone has the right to liberty. For most people today, that means that they can do whatever they want to do. Liberty is seen as the elimination of restraints. That kind of living is appealing to many, but in the end, it leads not to true freedom but to bondage. As Paul says, Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16 (NIV) A life lived without restraint ultimately leads to bondage.

                Jesus offers genuine freedom. He offers freedom for condemnation. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Romans 8:1 (NIV) He offers freedom from the power of sin. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Romans 6:18 (NIV) He offers the freedom to be who God created us to be, to live out our purpose to glorify God and to experience His love, grace, and mercy.

                Everyone has the right to pursue happiness. This is one right that I think many people misread. It does not guarantee happiness. It guarantees the right to seek happiness. In our society today we are obsessed with seeking happiness. Anything that makes me happy becomes valid, whether others see it or not. My happiness trumps everything else. But the pursuit of happiness is an insatiable hunger that only grows the more we feed it.

                Jesus offers us genuine happiness. He calls it joy, and it is not bound by our circumstances. True joy is found in relationship with Jesus. He made that clear as He prepared His disciples for His death on the cross.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
John 15:5-11 (NIV)

                God has created us with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Life: not just physical life, but eternal life through Jesus Christ. Liberty: not the freedom to do whatever we want to do, but the freedom to be who God created us to be. Happiness: not the temporary happiness we find in our world today, but a genuine happiness that wells up from within us because we are in a secure relationship with our Creator.