According to USA.gov, Independence Day "honors the birthday of the United States of America and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It's a day of picnics and patriotic parades, a night of concerts and fireworks, and a reason to fly the American flag" (http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Independence_Day.shtml). How should Christians celebrate this holiday?

I believe the best way to answer this questions is to begin, first, by pointing out the fact that we Christians are citizens of two kingdoms, an earthly kingdom and a heavenly kingdom, to which we have particular allegiance and obligations.

Our citizenship to this earthly kingdom, America to be more specific, comes with certain obligations, the weightiest among which are obeying the laws of the land, upholding its constitution, supporting the president to the fullest extent that our political principles will allow, and paying taxes. It comes with a distinct loyalty, too. American citizens don't pay allegiance to any other flag but that of the United States of America, "and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." At the very least, that means we stand for the core principles that this country was built on, are willing to contribute to their preservation, and enjoy the privileges of citizenship.

At the same time, we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom, a "Holy Nation" (1 Peter 2:9), with an obligation to our Lord and to His Word. We are His ambassadors, proclaiming and contending for the truth. This citizenship also demands allegiance to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Whom we are to love more than anything else, if we are to be worthy of Him (Matt 10:37). Our goal is to please Him (2 Corinthians 5:9).

If you have been a member of both kingdoms for any length of time, you may have discovered by now that it is not always easy to be loyal to both at the same time. In fact, you may have been confused at times as to whether or not it is even something that Christians should attempt. On the one hand, God calls us to obey government (Romans 13), but then makes it quite clear that we are not to "love the world, nor the things of this world" (1 John 2:15 ), or be conformed to its pattern (Romans 12:2), on the other. How do we reconcile this?

While our citizenship to both kingdoms comes with certain obligations and allegiance, let's be sure that our total allegiance and greatest obligations are to our heavenly kingdom. At the very least, this means that we must be ready for those times when we'll have to choose Christ over our country and reap the consequences of those choices (cf. Acts 5:27-29 for a biblical example of God-honoring civil disobedience). If, for example, our country outlaws evangelism, Christians everywhere should continue to preach and be prepared to go to jail.

But to give preference to our heavenly citizenship now also means that we will live out our earthly kingdom citizenship in a way that draws attention to the heavenly kingdom and its beauty. Therefore, we should be model citizens of this earthly kingdom, unless it is sin to do so, because we know that God established it (Romans 13). We should pray for those in government, because we believe that God has placed them there (Titus 3:1, 2; 1 Peter 2:13-17). We should render to "Caesar" what belongs to him, because Christ commands us to (Matthew 22:21). Like non-Christians, we should enjoy the benefits of God's creation while we live here. However, unlike non-Christians, we should put no stock in what is fleeting and temporal; we seek another kingdom, "a better country-a heavenly one" (Hebrews 11:16). And, unless our conscience forbids us (Romans 14:23), we should celebrate our country's successes, both later and most recent, because we know that a good Sovereign granted them for His overarching purpose. It is He alone who establishes nations, determines the duration of their prosperity, and razes them to the ground. As Christians, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, it is right and proper to engage in the memorials and customs of our earthly kingdom to which we give allegiance (under God!), but in a way that will point to the one, true God as our real object of praise. We must learn to give the credit to God.

We can now answer our question about the 4th of July more specifically. We celebrate it and all others national memorials in a way that will not only allow us to praise God publicly, but to use these celebrations as platforms for evangelism. The best way to do this is to take the theme of the particular celebration and add a spiritual dimension to it that will give it fuller meaning in the eyes of the lost. Jesus did this on several occasions. He told a thirsty Samaritan woman who came looking for water, that He offers living water that will keep her from ever thirsting again (John 4:14). On another occasion, Jesus chose the opportunity immediately after the feeding of the 5000, while "bread" was still in their stomachs and on their minds, to speak of Himself as "the living bread that came down from heaven," assuring them that "If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh" (John 6:51). Taking our cue from Jesus, we use the theme of "independence" during this 4th of July celebration to witness to people.

Here's how one Christian did it. Many years ago, Donald Grey Barnhouse, the late pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, used the 4th of July to illustrate the actions of the depraved heart of a sinner and those of the one who trusts Christ for salvation. He explained that the real Independence Day was not 1776, but soon after Adam was created, when he and his wife stood before God guilty of sinning. It was on that day, the fall, that Adam and Eve made their own Declaration of Independence, and threw God over for Satan's lie. From that time onward, every son and daughter of Adam is born at odds with God, fighting to live independent of Him. It is not until the rebel sees his sin, repents of it, and makes his official Declaration of Dependence upon the Lord of Hosts, will he be saved. This illustration is exactly the way that citizens of Heaven celebrate the memorials and holidays of the earthly kingdom to which they hold their lesser citizenship. May God grant us the needed wisdom to use these national events bound to the kingdom of earth as ways in to people's lives with the gospel.

– Dr. Bob Burrelli, Grace Bible Church, Bridgewater, MA