This July 4th, Christians across the US will fire up their grills, enjoy cold drinks with friends and family, and drive to local parks for fireworks displays. Many will offer brief prayers, thanking God for the rights and freedoms they enjoy as American citizens. Some will even attend local parades or patriotic services.
Sadly, there’s been an decline in meaningful celebration over recent years. In many municipalities across the country, local commemorations of the signing of the Declaration of Independence included public readings of the document and parades with Colonial-costumed marchers and spectators. In 2025, the focus has been successfully transferred to fireworks, beer, and cooking burgers.
American Christians have also been repeatedly reminded over the past few decades with a growing intensity that they must be watchful against patriotic “idolotry” when it comes to the relationship between their faith and their nation.
But Independence Day need not be a confusing day. The celebration belongs first and foremost to American Christians. It is our faith that led to the creation of the United States, maintained it through hardship, and is its only hope for the future. Christians, more than any other group of Americans, can say the most resolutely, “God bless America!”
If you want your Independence Day celebration to be meaningful, significant, and faithful, here are a few ways to do so:
1. Read the Declaration of Independence
One of the tragedies of modern public education is the overwhelming lack of civic awareness. According to a recent survey, over 50% of Americans have no idea why the United States separated from Great Britain in 1776 (It’s worth keeping in mind that the majority of those who did claim to know probably just said: “Taxes”). Independence Day has been disconnected from any tangible meaning for most Americans.
How can this lack of awareness be reversed? Ultimately, it has to start in our own homes, churches, and communities. A practical way to start is by having a public reading of the Declaration of Independence. If in a family or small group setting, this can be followed up with a discussion of the document’s meanings and its historical context. A helpful question to generate discussion for student-age children is: “At what point in the Declaration of Independence are taxes mentioned?” (hint: it’s not until #17 in the “long train of abuses”).
For a large group or church setting, consider having someone skilled in oratory dress up in colonial garb and read the Declaration from a replica scroll. While it may seem a bit cheesy to 2025 sensibilities, these traditions end up being what our children remember most about holidays, solidifying their impact and meaning.
2. Sing the Songs
Another unfortunate casualty of modern education and civic collapse is the loss of patriotic song. The US is blessed with some of the most beautiful, patriotic melodies on earth, as well as rich, theologically-minded lyrics. By way of example, here is the final verse of Samuel Francis Smith’s “My Country ‘Tis of Thee:”
Our fathers’ God, to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our king.
There was a time when most Americans knew at least the first verse of this patriotic hymn, but the younger generation has little to no familiarity with it. Print out the full lyrics for “The Star Spangled Banner,” “God Bless America,” “America the Beautiful,” “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” and “God of Our Fathers.” As a family, church group, or community, sing the songs together. Again, it may feel awkward at first, but the camaraderie that forms from singing together is profound.
3. Feast and Celebrate
There are plenty of problems in the US, and there always will be. But as among the Hebrews, days of celebration are meant to be enjoyed, not endured. Bake the pies, marinate the steaks, invite the friends, and fire off the fireworks. In God’s sovereignty, He made us to live on this earth, but to inhabit a very particular place among particular people. Celebrating who God made us to be is not “idolatry,” but rather gratitude.
In a sermon delivered on July 4th, 1794, Joseph Lathrop, a congregational minister in West Springfield, Massachusetts, remarked:
When we sit down at the festive board, to participate in the bounties of his providence, we should regard each other as brethren, members of the same great family, children of the same almighty parent, all united by common interest. Feasting together is an act of fellowship: one design of it is to confirm the bond of brotherly union.
The Christian ought not to be ashamed of where God placed him on the earth, but rather celebrate the redeeming aspects of his nation and thank God for sovereignly placing him there.
4. Pray and Give Thanks
First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
– 1 Timothy 2:1-2
I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will meditate on all Your workAnd muse on Your deeds.
– Psalm 77:11-12
A common theme throughout Scripture is admonishment to recall the “mighty deeds of the Lord.” Independence Day is an opportunity to thank and praise God for His blessing on our nation. It’s also an opportunity to entreat Him to deliver us from the threats we face, as well as the opportunity to do good for our country.
If you have the opportunity, consider setting aside a short time of prayer at your gathering, even if it’s just family. Ask someone to offer thanks for our rich history and traditions, someone to pray for our leaders, and someone to ask for God’s continued blessing on our land.
5. Be a Part of Your Community
The rapid secularization of our nation has caused many Christians and their churches to adopt a more insular attitude toward their communities. This is understandable, as faithful parents desire to shield their children from the moral corruption around them. But Christians should also seize opportunities, even in spiritually dark places, to share Christ and exemplify virtuous citizenship. July 4th presents many opportunities for both.
In many towns throughout the US, parades, town BBQs, concerts, and firework displays provide excellent opportunities to engage in your local community. Whether representing your church or just attending local events with your family, look for opportunities to use the festivities to point to God and His hand in our nation. Print copies of the Declaration of Independence and include a short gospel presentation. Dress up like George Washington and hand them out at the local parade! Chat with your neighbors about the purpose of July 4th. Use the conversation as a springboard to share the gospel.
Simply being present makes a difference. Increasingly, the civic realm in the United States has been passed over to progressives who detest everything about the Christian roots of the American Founding. There’s no reason to yield our local communities to these subversive forces. Invest in patriotic action in your own family, and foster a culture of civic responsibility. If we’re to reform the US, we must start in our own cities, towns, and neighborhoods.
True Liberty
Christians understand the truest meaning of liberty, that is, to be free in Christ. Not only do we know the great blessing of gaining freedom from the scourge of sin, death, and hell, but we also hold the truths of the greatest document in the history of mankind: The Bible. Its insights, principles, and precepts are the key to establishing and maintaining a government “for and by the people.” Without God’s help and the principles of Scripture, our national project is in vain.
As you wave our glorious flag, reflect on the words of President Calvin Coolidge on the 150th anniversary of our independence:
No other theory is adequate to explain or comprehend the Declaration of Independence. It is the product of the spiritual insight of the people. We live in an age of science and of abounding accumulation of material things. These did not create our Declaration. Our Declaration created them. The things of the spirit come first. Unless we cling to that, all our material prosperity, overwhelming though it may appear, will turn to a barren sceptre in our grasp. If we are to maintain the great heritage which has been bequeathed to us, we must be like-minded as the fathers who created it. We must not sink into a pagan materialism. We must cultivate the reverence which they had for the things that are holy. We must follow the spiritual and moral leadership which they showed. We must keep replenished, that they may glow with a more compelling flame, the altar fires before which they worshiped.
-President Calvin Coolidge, July 5, 1926
