In Congress, July 4, 1776...

... this declaration was published: THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. It said: When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

1. The first of these unalienable rights is life.

John 10:10 (NKJV)

10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  

2. The second unalienable right that they sought after was liberty.

John 20:3031 (NKJV)

18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 

19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. '  

3.  The third unalienable right they stood in was the pursuit of happiness!

1 Tim 6:12 (NKJV)

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 

As we celebrate our independence let us not forget our dependence on Jesus for life, liberty, and our happiness!