Scriptures: Galatians 5:13-15, Genesis 2:15-16, 1 Corinthians 8:1, 8:7, 8:12-13

The United States of America is synonymous with the word freedom. When our Founding Fathers decided to risk life and limb to begin this "grand experiment" called the United States they did not know a lot about what they "did" want. They knew a lot more about what they "didn't" want. They didn't want tyranny. They didn't want taxation without representation. They didn't want an absentee landlord from an ocean away running their lives and calling the shots. They wanted freedom.

Our Founding Fathers' understanding of freedom, the role of government and the rule of law lines up perfectly with what the Bible has to say about freedom. In this message, Dr. Merritt details how our Founding Fathers understood clearly that the connection between God and government, freedom and faith was not only necessary, but absolutely indispensable. What Paul and the Bible say about freedom is what our Founding Fathers and our most important documents say about freedom as well.

"The 'term unalienable rights' has a very specific and unique point of origination in the United States' Declaration of Independence. Unalienable rights are stated to be an endowment by the Creator of men, who are also defined as mankind. The Creator is defined as being Nature's God and the author of the Laws Of Nature. These unalienable rights include Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. The Declaration is unique in that it states that its authority is derived from Nature's God and that the unalienable rights bestowed by Nature's God have been bestowed equally upon all. In other words, the Founding Fathers understood that freedom was a gift of God and the key to maintaining that freedom would be to trust in God." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, freedom, United States, Independence Day, July 4, Fourth of July, John Adams, George Washington, liberty, Philadelphia, Independence Hall, 1776, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Declaration of Independence, government, Patrick Henry, Virginia, Convention, St. John's Church, Richmond, Great Britain, King George III, Adam, Eve, America