America’s True Foundation: A Call to Return

As our nation celebrates 249 years of freedom, Americans from coast to coast are gathering to remember our independence. Fireworks light the sky, flags wave proudly, and we reflect on the liberties we enjoy. But in the midst of the celebration, it’s worth asking: Where did this freedom come from—and what was it for?

Long before the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, there was another journey for freedom—a voyage not for wealth or worldly opportunity, but for the freedom to worship God without interference. The Pilgrims who crossed the Atlantic in 1620 weren’t adventurers in search of riches; they were Christians in search of liberty to live according to Scripture.

This isn't speculation. It’s recorded in their own words. In the Mayflower Compact, one of the first governing documents in American history, the Pilgrims wrote that they undertook their journey “for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith.” From the very beginning, the heartbeat of this new land was spiritual freedom—freedom to worship Jesus Christ and build a society rooted in biblical truth.

Our Founding Fathers, too, were deeply influenced by Christian principles. While they held a diversity of beliefs, they overwhelmingly understood that a just and free society depends on a moral foundation—and they believed that morality was grounded in God’s truth. John Adams, our second president, wrote:

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Yet today, many try to rewrite or erase this history. We're told America is a secular nation built only on human reason and personal liberty. But the truth is far more profound: our freedom was born from faith. Christian conviction shaped our earliest settlements, our founding documents, and our national conscience.

If we want to preserve freedom in America, we must return to the foundation that made freedom possible in the first place: faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to God’s Word. A nation that turns from God will always drift toward tyranny, but a people anchored in righteousness will flourish.

This Fourth of July, let’s not just celebrate independence—let’s remember why it was sought. And let’s pray for a spiritual awakening that will call America back to the faith that made her free.