Declaration of Dependence
As I type these words, I can hear fireworks near my house. The celebration of July 4th booms loudly and as the sounds go on, I’ve been thinking about independence and dependence.
I live in the United States of America (USA) and each year on the 4th day of July, our nation celebrates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence through which the USA was established. The Declaration was the founding document by which the people of the USA explained their independence as a new nation and freedom from the tyranny of Britain’s governance.
As I’ve considered the celebration of freedom over the last month, I couldn’t help but think about the Declaration of Independence and how it led to freedom for so many. Unfortunately, as much as that freedom has been experienced by many, it has also been withheld from many. Sadly, the statement of independence from tyranny and freedom for all has not always rung with truth, and just as sad, it’s of no surprise.
From the creation account of Scripture (Gen. 1-3), humanity has made declarations of independence. Although created in God’s image and formed for relational connection with the Lord, we declared our independence by stating with our actions and words, “Not God’s will, but mine be done.” This independence was rooted in the belief that we knew better. However, this led to shame, isolation, and our forming of systems that led to oppression, tyranny, division, and death. Humanity’s declaration of independence did not lead to freedom. That only came through a declaration of dependence.
As the Lord remained faithful to humanity even after their declaration of independence, He made covenants with them and formed them into a set-apart people. He called them out from their painful and destructive patterns of sin, He delivered them from bondage and slavery in Egypt, and He even gave them a way of life through the Torah (Ex. 19-Deut.) to guide them into the Promised Land and help them find provision through God’s grace.
Yet, the people of God continued to choose independence and followed their patterns of sin and oppression, and ultimately, decided to push the King away by asking for a human ruler. Although some of these judges and kings declared dependence on God and God’s Word, most of them mainly led the people astray, worshiped idols, and were either overpowered by tyrannical nations or enacted oppressive actions towards others. In short, the consistent declaration of independence from God’s people only led to destruction, division, and death.
Unfortunately, this was also done by all of humanity, and our history stories and records show how grotesque the human race became in their “independence”. Again, humanity’s declaration of independence never led to freedom. Rather, that only came through a declaration of dependence.
The truth of God’s story is that no matter how far humanity dove into their independence, the Lord faithfully pursued them with His love, grace, truth, and goodness. And God continued to offer them ways to declare their dependence on Him as a way to experience freedom and life.
This was most fully revealed through Christ Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, coming in flesh. Jesus, both God and man, came to the world to save it from its declaration of independence (Jn. 3:16-17). Jesus showed humanity that dependence on our own strength and work would not lead to life (Mt. 19:16-26). He made it known that the systems of oppression and tyranny in our world only hindered human beings from the fullness of love, truth, and holistic relationships (Mt. 22:36-40; Mk. 12:13-17). He manifested to the creation that the enemy came to steal and kill, but He came to give all life to the full (Jn. 10:10).
The greatest way that He gave humanity this insight was through His own declarations of dependence. Paul wrote that Jesus “did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross (Phil. 2:6-9)!” In His humanity, Jesus declared His dependence on God and showed us the way to declare our dependence on God as well.
In fact, in John 5 Jesus stated, “Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does (Jn. 5:19).” His declaration of dependence revealed to the religious leaders and people around Him that He was completely dependent on the Father for His words, actions, and direction. It was in this way that the religious leaders and their systems were challenged to move away from their dependency on human work to become dependent on God’s work. It was also in this manner that all those around Jesus could see how His declaration of dependence was an invitation for others to declare their dependence on God as well.
Another example of this declaration is found in Mark 14 when Jesus went away to pray in the garden of Gethsemane. The text says, “Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will (Mk. 14:35-36).” This account is not about the Father “saying no” to Jesus, but rather about Jesus modeling to humanity what our dependence on God should look like. Jesus reversed the prayer we prayed at the fall and made a way for all humanity to receive and respond to the declaration of dependence that says, “Not my will but God’s be done!”
Ultimately, it is this prayer that is the reception of God’s gift of salvation through Jesus. It is this statement and declaration that speaks against the independence of this world and the dependence upon one’s self. It is this prayer that postures our hearts and lives before God with a total and complete dependence upon the Lord for His grace, mercy, love, and truth to be our foundation. It is this type of prayer that welcomes the Spirit of God to awaken us to the truth of God’s Word, the grace of God’s work, and to the goodness of God’s Presence that guides us, covers us, and empowers us for full life.
It is not a declaration of independence that leads us to freedom, it is a declaration of dependence. This dependence is solely upon the Lord, His saving grace, His faithfulness, His Word, and His Spirit that covers us and empowers us to live a life that is truly life. And this dependence is not a singular declaration or prayer, it is a lifetime recognition that we are desperately in need and God is endlessly able to meet our needs.
In Hebrews, the author reminds the early Church that there is a rest they can enter into through the grace of Jesus. The encouragement states, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Heb. 4:14-16).” Through Jesus, we can approach God’s throne, we can receive mercy, and we can find grace in our time of need. When is our time of need? Always.
I write all of this to state that our goal should not be a declaration of independence, but a declaration of dependence. We are not God. We are not self-sufficient. We are desperately in need. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot work our way towards eternal or abundant life. We are hopeless without Jesus.
But God, in His rich mercy, offers life to all who will receive it. It doesn’t come through ourselves, but by our reception of this gift through a willingness to declare that we need Jesus. Our declarations of independence will never lead to freedom. Maybe temporarily or situationally, but never eternally. Only a declaration of dependence leads to true freedom and life.
Growing up many told me that Christianity was just a crutch to help weak people get through life. In all honesty, they were right, but it’s even more than just a crutch. The fact is that without God we are dead, hopeless, lost, and utterly bound to the division and destruction of sin. In our independence, we cannot make it through life. In our dependence on Christ we are given not just a crutch to hobble through life but a way to actually live in freedom and fullness.
So, beloved, don’t wait any longer to make your declaration. Freely receive God’s gracious gift and declare your dependence on the Lord, on His work, on His Word, on His Spirit, on all that He has for you. It is truly the only way to freedom and a life that is liberated from the tyranny of sin and the brokenness of this world.
I would normally try to supply a number of ways to do this, but for this blog, I want to simply point to two ways you can declare your dependence.
Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). Continually declare your dependence upon God and meditate on His goodness, closeness, and love for you. I’ve written a prayer for you to start with below:
Gracious God, I need You. More than anything. I declare that I depend upon You. Your work, Word, Spirit, grace, truth, and love. I surrender my independence to You and ask for Your strength to live in the awareness of my weakness and Your power perfected in my life. Father, I need You. Not my will, but Yours be done. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Worship. Worship is declaring who is God, what God has done, and who we are because of these truths. The Psalms are filled with declarations of dependence through praise. Psalm 42:1-2 states, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” Psalm 63:1-5 declares, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; singing lips my mouth will praise you.” Declare your need for Jesus and allow your heart to overflow these proclamations as you put praise on your lips and fill your life with worship. Below you will find a link to one of my favorite worship declarations about needing God. I pray it blesses you.
Beloved, we have the opportunity each day to declare our dependence upon the Lord. Let us be those who recognize that our declarations of independence have never led to full freedom or life, and that in our desperation and need, we have access to One who can meet us, love us, and guide us. We have One whom we can depend upon and in this dependence, we find freedom. It is to that freedom and to those declarations of dependence that I write. Amen.
