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The Unalienable Rights of Independence: Life
July 6, 2019

On Thursday, Americans celebrated Independence Day. In 1776, July 4th was the day when the colonists declared their independence from Great Britain and declared the colonies to be the United States of America, recorded in a document known as the Declaration of Independence, which in part declares all men to be created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Having established a connection to faith from this country's inception, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have Biblical connections. Today we will consider the topic of Life and in future weeks we will consider liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Through the use of parables, Jesus taught that he was the shepherd who is known by the sheep. He showed that a thief would have to break in to the stable, yet Jesus would simply enter through the stable's front door. He showed how the sheep would follow the voice of somebody they know, but would avoid an unfamilair voice. Jesus then contrasted the difference between himself and the thief. The thief would steal, kill, and destroy. For the thief, death and destruction were the promised result. Jesus instead gives life, and not just any life but an abudant life. That promise of abundant life is not fulfilled in this present physical life, but at the return of Jesus when in a twinkling of an eye the dead are raised incorruptible and those who are physically alive are made to be spirit beings. For all who have been given the Holy Spirit, today's down payment of a future abundant and eternal life, no person, no angel, no demon can remove this life from us. God does not arbitrarily remove this life from us unless we make a choice to walk away from God. As an inalienable right, only each person could voluntarily give up this right, and giving up this right occurs only after one abandons God through the unpardonable sin.

John 10:1-10
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

In another chapter of John we find one of the most cited verses in the Bible. Nicodemus, a Pharisee came to Jesus at night and wanted to know more about being born again, because in his mind according to his understanding, it made no sense. Jesus explained that to enter the Kindgom of God, all people go through three births, a physical birth through your mother, the second birth of baptism, where we are begotten, or conceived spiritually with the Holy Spirit, and finally our spiritual birth to the abundant life we just read about. Jesus explained that for this to be possible, he would have to be sacrificed so that the world could be saved, not perish, and have everlasting life. To be saved, we have to believe Jesus and not be deceived by this world. Just as the Founding Fathers of the United States of America were willing to give up their life that they knew through Great Britain, we must be willing to give up our life as we know it in this world so that God may use us for His purposes.

John 3:1-21
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

This abundant life is not given without a price. Jesus died so we could be given this life. For each of us there is a cost of ownership of this gift. Just like a homeowner pays property taxes or a car owner pays a car registration fee, there are costs to have an abundant life, and are beyound any monetary value. Jesus shows just like he was lifted up, we too will in our own way be lifted up, too. Is there anything we currently have that is more valuable than this future abundant and eternal life? We will be rewarded according to our works, what we did, our obedience to God.

Matthew 16:24-28
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

It was the Apostle John who was standing with Jesus who in the later years of his life had a vision of Jesus coming in his glory to establish the Kingdom of God.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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